Seafood Squid Ink Tagliatelle With Chiles

CREAMY GARLIC SEAFOOD PASTA

Steps:

• In a large pan, add a splash of oil and allow to heat up.
• Season the seafood with salt and pepper then cook in batches until golden brown.
• The shrimp/prawns should take no more than a minute per side (depending on size) and the calamari and mussels will take only a few minutes to cook. Take care not to overcook the seafood as they will go tough and rubbery. Rather undercook slightly as it will cook a little more while being tossed with the sauce and pasta.
• Remove the seafood from the pan and set aside.
• In the same pan, melt the butter and add the garlic and chilli flakes. Cook until fragrant then pour in the lemon juice and wine.
• Bring to a simmer and allow to reduce by half.
• Pour in the cream and allow to come to a simmer. Allow to cook for 5 minutes or until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
• Add the seafood (and any of its resting juices) and parsley and stir to combine.
• Toss the sauce with cooked pasta and a splash of the pasta cooking water and toss to coat the pasta. Serve sprinkled with parsley.

SQUID INK PASTA WITH SHRIMP AND CHERRY TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Add the shrimp shells to a small pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and allow to simmer until it has reduced by half. Strain and keep on the heat at a low simmer until ready to use.
• Add the olive oil, fennel, onions, a pinch of salt and crushed red pepper flakes in a saute pan over medium heat. Let the fennel and onions cook until translucent. Then add the tomatoes, garlic, oregano and white wine. Let it reduce until there is about 1/4 cup of liquid left. Then add the squid, shrimp and 1/2 cup of the shrimp stock. Stir in the parsley.
• Cook the fresh squid ink pasta in salted boiling water until tender, but still has a bite. Add the cooked pasta to the saute pan and toss to coat. Garnish the pasta with fennel fronds, a drizzle of olive oil and grated Parmesan.
• Mound the flour on a clean, dry work surface. Make a hole (this is also called a well) in the center of the flour pile that is about 8 inches wide (bigger is definitely is better here). Crack the eggs into the hole and add the egg yolk, olive oil, squid ink and some salt.
• Using a fork, beat the eggs together with the olive oil, squid ink and salt; then begin to incorporate the flour into the egg mixture, being careful not to break the sides of the well or else the egg mixture will run all over your board and you will have a big mess! Also, don't worry about the lumps. When enough flour has been incorporated into the egg mixture that it will not run all over the place, begin to use your hands to really get everything well combined. If the mixture is tight and dry, wet your hands and begin kneading with wet hands. When the mixture has really come together into a homogeneous mixture, THEN you can start kneading.
• When kneading, it is VERY important to put your body weight into it; get on top of the dough to really stretch it and not to tear the dough. Using the heels of your palms, roll the dough to create a very smooooooth, supple dough. When done, the dough should look VERY smooth and feel almost velvety. Kneading will usually take from 8 to 10 minutes for an experienced kneader, or 10 to 15 minutes for an inexperienced kneader. Put your body weight into it; you need to knead! This is where the perfect, toothsome texture of your pasta is formed. Get in there and have fun!
• When the pasta has been kneaded to the perfect consistency, wrap it in plastic and let it rest for at least 20 to 30 minutes. If using immediately, do not refrigerate.
• Roll and cut the pasta into the desired shape.
• How smooth and supple!

TAGLIATELLE WITH SHRIMP AND SQUID

Steps:

• For the pasta dough: Put the flour on a clean dry work surface. Make a hole (this is also called a well) in the center of the flour pile that is about 8 inches wide (bigger is definitely better here). Crack the eggs and yolk into the hole, and add the olive oil, salt and water.
• Using a fork, beat the eggs together with the olive oil, water and salt, and then begin to incorporate the flour into the egg mixture. (Be careful not to break the sides of the well, or the egg mixture will run all over your work surface and you'll have a big mess! Also, don't worry about lumps.) When enough flour has been incorporated into the egg mixture that it won't run all over the place, begin to use your hands to get everything well combined. If the mixture is tight and dry, wet your hands and begin kneading with wet hands. When the mixture has really come together into a homogeneous mixture, THEN you can start kneading.
• When kneading, it is VERY important to put your body weight into it--get on top of the dough to really stretch, not tear, it. Using the heels of your palms, roll the dough to create a smooooooth, supple dough. When done, the dough should look VERY smooth and feel almost velvety. Kneading will usually take from 8 to 10 minutes for an experienced kneader or 10 to 15 minutes for an inexperienced kneader. This is where the perfect, toothsome texture of your pasta is formed. Get in there and have fun!
• When the pasta has been kneaded to the perfect consistency, wrap it in plastic and let rest for at least 1 hour.
• For the shrimp and squid sauce: In a large pan, saute the fennel and onion in the oil until translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic, zucchini, tomato and some salt, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, another few minutes. Stir in the red pepper. Add the wine, bring to a boil, and cook until reduced by half, about 3 minutes.
• Add the chicken stock, bring to a boil, and simmer until slightly thickened. Add the shrimp and squid. Cook until just done, being careful not to overcook the shrimp and squid or else they'll be rubbery.
• Take off the heat, set aside and keep warm.
• For the arugula salad: Toss the arugula in the olive oil; season with salt.
• To finish the pasta: Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Roll out the pasta very thin with a pasta maker, following the manufacturer's instructions. Then use the machine to cut the pasta into tagliatelle.
• Cook a quarter of the pasta in boiling water for 4 to 5 minutes (save the remainder for another use).
• To serve: Divide the tagliatelle among 4 plates and divide the sauce over it, making sure each plate gets some pieces of shrimp and squid. Top with the arugula salad and some grated Parmesan, and garnish with fennel fronds.

TAGLIATELLE WITH SAFFRON, SEAFOOD, AND CREAM

Steps:

• Soak the saffron in the white wine. Add a little oil and the garlic to a frying pan, and cook until softened. Add the clams and mussels, shake the pan around, and add the white wine and saffron mixture. Bring to a boil and cook until the shellfish opens, discard any shellfish that remain closed.
• Then, lay the rest of the seafood, parsley, and the cream on top. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes and season to taste. Cook the tagliatelle in salted, boiling water until al dente. Drain and add to the fish, serve scattered with some of the leftover parsley and an extra drizzle of olive oil.

SQUID INK SPAGHETTI WITH BELL PEPPER, CALAMARI, SHRIMP, RICOTTA AND COLONNATA LARD

Steps:

• Roast the yellow and red bell peppers directly on the flame of a stovetop until the skins char. Remove from the heat and seal in a container to cool. When cool, peel the peppers under cold running water and slice into thin strips.
• Cut the lardo into small sticks and saute in a large skillet over medium heat. Slowly increase the heat in order to get the lard crispy. Once the lard is crispy, remove from the skillet and reserve. Discard half the melted fat in the skillet. Using the remaining fat, saute the garlic and chili pepper until lightly browned. Add the bell peppers and saute for 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water (about 5 quarts) to a boil. Add the fresh squid ink spaghetti and cook according to the package directions.
• When the bell pepper, garlic and chili mixture has cooked, add the shrimp and calamari and saute everything together until cooked, a few minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Add the cooked squid ink spaghetti to the skillet and toss together until creamy. Serve topped with the crispy lard and grated salted ricotta.

SQUID INK PASTA WITH CALAMARI AND CHORIZO

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a small saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the chorizo and cook until well browned, breaking up the sausage as it cooks with a wooden spoon. Add the onions and garlic and saute until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the white wine and continue cooking about 30 seconds; the mixture should not be dry. Turn off the heat and set aside.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the pasta and cook about 1 minute.
• Turn the chorizo mixture back on. Add the calamari and red pepper flakes and saute until just cooked through. Drain the pasta and add to the pan along with 1 ounce of the pasta water. Cook for 1 minute on high heat to coat the pasta and finish the cooking process. Add the scallions and toss.
• Place in a bowl and finish with another drizzle of oil and serve.
• For the squid ink pasta dough: On a large, clean work surface, pour the flour in a mound. Make a well in the center about 4 inches wide. Pour the whole eggs, egg yolks, squid ink and salt into the well and, using a fork, beat thoroughly. When combined, gradually incorporate the flour into the eggs until a wet, sticky dough has formed. Fold any additional flour into the dough as needed while kneading, turning the dough roughly 45 degrees each time, for 2 to 5 minutes.
• Wrap the ball of dough tightly in plastic wrap and let it rest on the countertop for 30 minutes.
• To roll the noodles: Place a sheet of parchment paper on a tray or cutting board and dust lightly with flour. Unwrap the rested dough and cut into quarters. Set one quarter on the work surface and re-wrap the remaining dough. With a rolling pin, flatten the quarter of dough into an oblong shape about 1/2-inch thick.
• Set a pasta maker to the widest setting and pass the dough three times through the machine at this setting. Narrow the setting by one notch and repeat. Repeat once more (the dough should now have passed through the third widest setting). Continue passing the dough through the rollers, reducing the thickness by one setting each time, until it reaches the desired thickness. It should now be very delicate and elastic to the touch and slightly translucent.
• To cut the noodles: Adjust the pasta machine to the noodle setting of your choice. Working with one dough segment at a time, feed the dough through the pasta cutter. Alternatively, cut the folded dough by hand with a chef's knife to desired noodle width. Yield: 4 servings.