The pasta with squid and cherry tomatoes is a simple and tasty first course, a great classic of seafood cuisine that can deliver satisfaction with a few, but careful, adjustments. The spaghetti with squid prepared according to this recipe captivates with fresh and light taste: the sauce is quickly made with cherry tomatoes datterini or pachino, just briefly sautéed to preserve their natural sweetness. Much like what happens in other simple and genuine seafood first courses, such as pasta with fresh anchovies, spaghetti with bottarga or spaghetti with mussels. To get tender and flavorful squid, a short cooking time is essential — no more than ten minutes — at moderate heat. If possible, choose medium-small squid, ideal for this type of preparation. To make the pasta with squid even creamier and well emulsified, drain it very al dente and finish cooking in the pan, “risotto-style” with the sauce and a ladleful of the cooking water. The pasta with squid and cherry tomatoes is the ideal recipe for those looking for easy yet impressive seafood first courses, capable of transforming even an impromptu dinner into a special moment.
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- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4 People
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All Seasons
- Energy 286.23 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 32.74 (g) of which sugars 6.67 (g)
- Proteins 17.23 (g)
- Fat 9.60 (g) of which saturated 1.92 (g)of which unsaturated 1.18 (g)
- Fibers 2.28 (g)
- Sodium 475.06 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 312 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for Pasta with Squid and Fresh Tomatoes
- 12.7 oz spaghetti (for me gluten-free)
- 1.1 lbs squid
- 8.8 oz cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 glass white wine
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 chili pepper (optional)
- 3 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 sprig parsley
Tools
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Pan non-stick sauté pan with lid
- 1 Pot
How to Prepare Spaghetti with Squid and Cherry Tomatoes
To prepare pasta with squid and cherry tomatoes, start by cleaning the squid: gently separate the head from the body; by pulling it away, you’ll also remove the innards. Inside the sac, you’ll find a thin transparent cartilage, called the “pen”, which should be removed and discarded. At this point, you can remove the outer skin covering the body, using your fingers or a small knife. Then move on to the head: cut the squid just below the eyes and discard the upper part. At the center of the tentacles, there is a small hard beak, similar to a tooth: you can easily remove it by pushing it away with your fingers.
Once cleaning is complete, rinse everything thoroughly and cut the body into rings (1). If the head isn’t very large, you can leave it whole and cut the tentacles into pieces; otherwise, cut the head into two or three parts. Wash the cherry tomatoes, dry them, and cut them in half (2). In a large pan lightly brown the peeled garlic clove and the chopped chili pepper in the oil (3).
Keeping the heat low, add the squid rings (4) and let them cook gently for a minute, turning them often, then add the tentacles (5). Continue cooking for about a minute, then raise the heat to maximum and deglaze with white wine (6).
Allow the alcohol to evaporate well until there’s no more smell of alcohol, then add the cherry tomatoes (7). Lightly salt and cover with a lid. Cook over medium heat for 8 -10 minutes, until the squid is tender and the cherry tomatoes have wilted (8). Finish with a bit of chopped fresh parsley (9). Turn off the heat and remove the garlic clove.
While the squid is cooking, boil the pasta in plenty of salted water and, when there are a couple of minutes left until done, drain it, reserving a couple of ladles of its cooking water. Transfer the pasta to the pan, turn the heat back to maximum, and finish cooking the pasta in the pan, moistening it with a ladle of its cooking water (10). Toss the pasta with the squid for a couple of minutes until a thick, well-emulsified sauce has formed (11).
Turn off the heat and immediately serve the pasta with squid, sprinkled with a bit of chopped parsley.
Storage
The squid sauce can be stored in the refrigerator, in a glass container, for up to 2 days.
Tips and Variations
In winter, if fresh cherry tomatoes are not available, you can replace them with canned tomatoes, preferably peeled cherry tomatoes, which are generally sweeter.
