Spicy Squid Ink Linguini with Sausage Stuffed Calamari
Sticking with a Halloween theme, my friend Leigh from Nella Pasta made a batch of jet black, squid ink linguini and was generous enough to drop me off a sample. The first time I encountered squid ink pasta was two years ago in the small, blue collar, seaport town of Recco, Italy. My whole family was staying in Tuscany and traveling throughout the country and found it necessary to make a pit stop in the small town that bears our surname. I remember sitting down for lunch and ordering the special… Risotto al Nero di Seppi, with no idea what was going to show up. To my surprise, a midnight black risotto arrived tossed with cuttlefish (very similar to squid) and I loved it! The squid ink flavor was so subtle but completely necessary; rich, briny, and buttery.
This was the first time that I have had squid ink since that trip and I was extremely excited when Leigh showed up at my Halloween party bearing this slightly unusual gift, but totally perplexed as to how I was going to create a dish with it. I am a huge fan of heat, so I figured that I would keep the sauce simple and make a quick Arriabiata sauce. Arriabiata is a classic Italian red sauce that you’ll find on every single ristorante or trattoria menu in Tuscany. It is composed of four main ingredients; tomatoes, toasted garlic, chile flakes, and olive oil.
Since the sauce was very simple, I decided to do something a little wild to add some flair to the dish. I asked my fish monger for the largest squid bodies that he could find and I stuffed them with a mixture of hot Italian sausage, breadcrumbs, parsley, and lemon zest. This may seem somewhat strange but it was relatively easy to do.
I grilled the stuffed calamari even though it was borderline freezing on my deck and plated it atop the squid ink linguine arriabiata. The grill added some charred smokiness to the squid that was amazing with the spicy sauce and the freshness of the lemon zest inside the filling.
There are very few wines that can hold up to spicy meals, but Alsatian Riesling did the trick. The 2008 Trimbach Riesling hits you with an initial burst of fruit and sweetness but then finishes with loads of limestone and minerality, clearly indicative of the Alsace region. Not quite as much residual sugar as some German Riesling, but just enough to balance out the heat from the sauce and the savory garlic.
If you’re a fan of pasta, whether it’s dried, fresh, or stuffed… stay tuned because Nella Pasta will be selling all sorts of handcrafted goodies at Upper Falls Liquors starting very soon. Check out Leigh & Rachels’ website: www.nellapasta.com for more information on times and details as to what will be available.
November 10th, 2009 at 4:34 pm
[...] and bread crumb stuffed calamari with a spicy arriabiata sauce. Um, YUM. Check out the full post here and visit Upper Falls Liquors soon to find Nella Pasta! (We’ll post our actual wholesale [...]