Squid ink pasta in a creamy, citrus-y base with capers & spinach to elevate your pasta experience, albeit in a healthy and wholesome manner. Adapted from the authentic Italian seaside villages collectively called Cinque Terre, the unique yet simple ingredients come together to pack quite a flavour punch – try it to believe it!
Pasta has always been my go-to comfort food choice (surprise 😛 ), because I believe it’s the most versatile and convenient meal options, and depending upon your mood you could change the ingredients and play it up in a zillion ways – the possibilities are soooooo exciting!
Squid Ink Pasta – The Story Behind
The inspiration for this recipe comes from a quaint sea-framed village called Corniglio that is one of the 5 villages which together form Cinque Terre in north-western part of Italy. We reached this village at 3pm and most of the restaurants were closing for the day, so we chose to walk to a rather pricey place perched high on a small hill, ordered rather expensive pasta and wine, put up with rather irritating and annoying behaviour from a pesky chef/ owner (Google reviewers felt the same too, unsurprisingly 😛 ), but when the homemade pasta arrived with bits of seabass and orange peel bits and lemon zest – my, was that perfection in a teeny pasta bowl!!
About Cinque Terre, Italy
The rugged winding coastline, sapphire blue – teal green sea waters, colorful as well as the quiet romance in air are some of the reasons to visit this Unesco Heritage site in Italy. However, the biggest reason that excited me was – you guessed it! – the Ligurian cuisine. This region celebrates pasta along with garlic, salmon and other fresh catch from the sea, lemons and oranges, and a wide variety of chillies! Not to mention the local wines which ranged from €2 per bottle to €48 a glass!!
I was in gastronomic heaven the entire time there – such was the endless variety of things to try here. Also, did I also worry about putting on additional pounds? NO CHANCE! For one thing, the hikes, walks, stairs, terraces – each of these meant a lot of physical activity. In fact, my average steps were about 18,000 per day, during my entire time in Italy. Another post on that as well, some day!
All About Squid Ink Pasta
Squid ink has been traditionally used to dye pasta black for centuries in Italian cuisine, rendering a rich, beautiful black tone to it. When I spotted a wholegrain squid ink pasta variant at a supermarket in Rome, I knew I HAD to get some home and try to recreate the magical experience of Corniglio. In addition to being characteristically jet black, squid ink spaghetti does have a briny, salty taste, therefore be prepared to be taken by surprise a bit when you taste it.
Warning: Since this pasta uses the ink from squid, hence it is definitely not vegetarian. Those with shellfish allergy, therefore proceed with caution (I’m allergic to shellfish, but I did just fine with this pasta. However, if you are allergic to shellfish too, it is better to do your own research on allergens and proceed to eat it).
Squid Ink Pasta with Smoked Salmon, Citrus & Cream Cheese
This dish is very simple and easy to make, not to mention real convenient too, especially if you’re hosting a gathering at home and would like to delight your guests with a special and unusual main dish, all with very less prep-work! The tangy capers, freshness of lemon zest and sourness of preserved orange peel contrast beautifully with the richness of fresh cream cheese and salmon, creating a delectable burst of flavours – the simplicity of this dish is in using less cheese and few ingredients. Don’t have cream cheese in your pantry? No fuss – you can also switch cream cheese with parmesan or gouda cheese. Just grate a little quantity and sprinkle over the dish – even helps you go lighter on the fat calories from cheese.
Wish to explore other wholesome and healthier pasta recipes? Check these out:
Cacio e Pepe with Green Peas and Nutritional Yeast
Zoodles with Spinach Pistachio Pesto Sauce and Nutritional Yeast
Whole Wheat Spaghetti in Homemade Pesto Sauce
For more healthy comfort-food options, try my
Comments (2)
Pauline Leigh · 3 February 2022
Hi will be trying this but it does say whe to add the salmon. Or if you cook it off first ? Thanks
SoniaAuthor · 7 February 2022
Hello Pauline, I updated the recipe. The canned salmon chunks are to be added to the pan right after we fry garlic in oil, and cooked for 3 minutes approx until the salmon looks translucent pink in the center. Thank you, hope the recipe turns out amazing for you.