spaghetti al nìvuro di sìccia / spaghetti with squid ink sauce

The first time I had the pleasure of eating squid ink sauce was at 40 Ladroni, a sensationally delicious restaurant tucked away in the San Marco district of Venice. I fell so madly in love with this mysterious black dish that a friend of mine proposed marriage on my behalf to our unsuspecting waiter and benevolent bearer of squid ink. The amiable Venetian decided to play along, announcing the engagement to the restaurant of friendly Italians enjoying their Sunday lunch. Prenuptial toasts and complementary shots of limoncello ensued.

Ever since this wonderful day combined marital bliss with the even more vital promise of eternal squid ink sauce and limoncello, I have craved this dish. After lucklessly scouring a host of American cities in hopes of finding a restaurant or market that serves it, I decided to try my hand at it myself. To my delight, I discovered that it’s not as difficult or expensive as it looks, as long as you can get your hands on some of that mythical squid ink (which also makes a fetching moustache).

Squid ink can be hard to find, so whenever I see it I buy as much as I can afford and store it in my freezer. Don't worry if you're not planning on using it anytime soon - squid ink has quite the shelf life. Concerned about the expiration status of some squid ink I bought last summer in Boston's North End, I did some research and came across an article that showed how squid ink can last over 155 million years!

If you're having trouble locating squid ink, I've found that sometimes you can call a local fishery a day in advance. They're often happy to get some fresh squid ink especially for you when the fishermen come the next day.

Ingredients

1 lb good spaghetti
3 Tbsp olive oil

2 shallots, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

a dash of red pepper flakes

1/2 lb squid tubes, cleaned (and tentacles if desired)

1 28 oz can diced tomatoes

1 cup white wine

a handful of parsley

1 to 2 teaspoons squid ink
salt (to taste)

Directions

In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add shallots, garlic, and red pepper flakes and sauté for about 3 minutes or until the onions begin to become translucent.

In the meantime, slice the squid horizontally into rings.

Once the onions and garlic begin to smell fragrant, add the squid and sauté for 2 minutes.

Add tomatoes, wine, and a handful of parsley, reserving a generous portion of the parsley for the garnish.

Simmer on medium to medium-high heat for 15 to 25 minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken.

While the sauce is simmering, cook the pasta according to the manufacturer's instructions. Do not overcook the pasta - you want it to be al dente.

Once the sauce has thickened, add the squid ink. Remember, a little goes a long way! Add the ink slowly, watching the colors change, and tasting if you like. When you have a sauce that is as black as night, you know it's time to stop!

Simmer the black sauce for about a minute and then add the drained pasta. Garnish with the leftover parsley, and serve.

(serves 4 and a kitten)

rigatoni with goat cheese, mint, and peas

A friend of mine recently started a goat farm in the Connecticut countryside, and after a recent visit I came back to New York with more raw goat cheese than I knew what to do with.

In an effort to consume it all I've been adding it to everything I eat and have come up with some exciting results. The following recipe combines the mild, tangy flavor of goat cheese with the bright flavor of mint. This is a great way to use up extra mint if you have some lying around.

I like to call this "inside-out ravioli," because the taste of the sauce reminds me of a ravioli stuffing. The peas hide in and peek out of the rigatoni and the addition of the mint results in a beautiful dish. The goat cheese makes the sauce taste rich, but because I used low-fat milk the sauce feels light and fresh.

Ingredients

4 cups of pasta

For the sauce

2 cloves garlic 

1 tbl butter or olive oil

1/2 cup milk (use whole milk or cream if you want a thicker sauce)

2 oz goat cheese

1/4 cup peas

1/2 bunch of fresh mint

1/4 t salt

1/4 t pepper

shredded parmesan cheese (to garnish)

Directions

Cook the pasta according to the directions. In the mean time, mince the garlic and the mint.

When the pasta is almost ready, sauté the garlic over medium heat in a sauce pan with oil or butter for about three minutes.

Add the milk and the goat cheese, mashing the goat cheese against the pan. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, depending on how thick you want the sauce. (The sauce will not thicken very much if you use low-fat milk, so if you want a thicker, richer sauce, go for whole milk or cream.)

When the pasta is ready, strain into a colander and add to the sauce, along with the frozen peas. Stir until the pasta absorbs the sauce. Remove the mixture from the saucepan and add the mint.

Divide evenly into two bowls, garnishing each portion with a generous serving of parmesan cheese, and serve.

(serves 2)