Pasta With Pea Greens And Squid Recipes

PASTA ALLA CAPRICCIOSELLA (PASTA WITH SQUID, MUSHROOMS AND PEAS)

Steps:

• In a sauté pan large enough to hold all the pasta, sauté the garlic cloves in abundant olive oil over moderate heat until they are just beginning to brown. Remove the garlic cloves and add the chopped calamari. Season with salt and pepper, stirring so that all the little pieces are nicely coated with the flavored oil. Turn the heat down to very low and cover the pan.
• Let the squid braise until it is very tender, about 20-30 minutes for baby squid, 45-60 minutes for 'regular' squid. The squid will give off a fair amount of liquid to begin with, but as it cooks it may dry out, in which case add a few spoonfuls of water or wine from time to time to keep things moist. The squid itself should be much reduced in size and darken as its liquid cooks out; this is perfectly normal.
• While the squid is cooking, start the pasta water going, then prep your veggies.
• When the squid is done, uncover it, increase the heat to medium-high and add the white wine. Let the wine reduce, then add your veggies. Mix well to cover them completely with the sauce in the pan. Season well with salt and pepper as you stir.
• Then, once again, reduce the heat and cover the pan. Let the veggies braise until the mushrooms are tender, about another 10 minutes or so. The tomatoes will soften and begin to 'melt' into the sauce, but not completely. A minute or two before the end, add the red pepper flakes and half of the chopped parsley.
• Just when you cover the pan again, salt the boiling water very well and add your pasta, making sure that . it should be done about the same time as your veggies. When it is done very al dente, add the pasta to sauce in the sauté pan. Lower the heat as low as it will go, and mix it all up so that the pasta is well coated with the sauce. If things are a bit dry or sticky, add some more pasta water to loosen things up. The pasta should not be at all watery but slight 'slither' around the pan easily.
• Serve immediately in warmed pasta dishes. The best way to do this is to grab a good portion of pasta with some tongs (or a pasta fork) and swirl it into the dish. Then spoon out a nice portion of the sauce, with squid and veggies, too, on top of the pasta. If you like, sprinkle a bit of fresh parsley on top for garnish, perhaps with un filo d'olio-a drizzle of olive oil. As the poem so rightly recommends, no cheese.

PASTA WITH PEA GREENS AND SQUID

Steps:

• Boil the pasta in a large pot of salted water until tender and drain well.
• In a large skillet, warm the olive oil. Add the garlic and cook until it begins to turn golden, about 1 minute. Add the chili pepper and raise the flame to high. Add the squid and toss for approximately 1 minute. Add the pea greens or watercress and toss for 30 seconds. Remove from heat.
• Toss the squid mixture with the pasta.
• Add the lemon and lime rinds and toss well.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

SQUID INK SPAGHETTI

Steps:

• For pasta dough, place flour and ½ tsp fine salt in an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add remaining ingredients and mix until a dough forms, adding extra water 1 tsp at a time if the dough is too stiff. Transfer to a bench and knead until smooth and elastic (5 minutes). Cover and refrigerate (1 hour). Cut dough into 6 pieces. Working with one piece at a time, keeping remainder covered, flatten, then roll through a pasta machine, starting at the first setting. Roll and laminate dough a few times on the first setting, then reduce settings notch by notch, rolling and folding dough as you go, until 2mm thick. Trim pasta sheets into manageable pieces, roll through the spaghetti attachment, then hang until dry (20 minutes). Store in a floured container until ready to use.
• Cook unpeeled garlic in olive oil in a small saucepan over low heat until very tender but not browned (40-45 minutes). Drain, then squeeze out garlic. Discard skins and reserve oil.
• Heat 50ml reserved garlic oil in a large saucepan over high heat. Add cuttlefish, chilli, wine and garlic, and sauté, tossing until cuttlefish is just cooked (2-2½ minutes).
• Meanwhile, cook spaghetti and peas in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until pasta is al dente and peas are bright green (2 minutes). Drain, reserving a little pasta water. Add spaghetti and 1-2 tbsp reserved pasta water to cuttlefish mixture and toss to combine. Working quickly (pasta and cuttlefish can easily overcook), add parsley and lemon juice, season to taste and toss to combine. Drizzle with garlic oil (reserve remainder for another use) and top with bronze fennel to serve.