Squid Ink Pasta with Seafood

My favourite seafood and pasta combination. Baby octopus are reasonably priced and create a delicious sauce for the pasta. The octopus reduction is very flavoursome and makes a sauce that lightly coats the the pasta without being too wet. Adding some seared scallops and prawns just before serving will make the meal that little more luxurious and avoid tough and overcooked seafood. Any spaghetti can be used, however, I like the dramatic colour contrast of the squid ink pasta with the seafood. The garnish of parsley, lemon and garlic can be adjusted, I like fresh garlic and lots of lemon zest, however, for a more delicate finish just use chopped parsley or parsley and some zest.

The baby octopus and sauce can be cooked ahead of time and reheated. The remaining seafood will cook quickly and should be seared as the pasta is cooking.

Squid Ink Spaghetti with Seafood

500 g squid ink spaghetti

1 kg baby octopus, defrosted if frozen

18 scallops

12 green prawn tails, sliced in half lengthwise

2 tablespoons of oil

1 onion diced

3 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 chilli, finely diced

Freshly ground pepper and salt

To Garnish
Chopped parsley
zest of 1-2 lemons
1 -2 cloves garlic, crushed

Here's How

Heat a little oil in a pan, add onion, garlic and chilli. Reduce heat and cook gently until the onions soften.

Add baby octopus and continue cooking until octopus are tender, approximately fifteen minutes. The octopus will change colour and shrink, releasing liquid that will be used for the sauce.

Remove the cooked octopus and reduce the liquid until approximately one cup remains. Taste and add pepper and salt as necessary.

Place pasta into boiling, salted water, stir and cook until al dente. Follow cooking time on the packet.

Heat a little oil in a pan and quickly sear the baby octopus. If cooked previously allow time for the octopus to heat through. Remove and keep warm.

Repeat the searing process with the scallops and prawns.

Combine the seafood.

Drain the pasta and add the octopus reduction.

Plate the spaghetti into bowls and then distribute the seafood evenly across each bowl. Garnish with chopped parsley or a combination of parsley, lemon zest and crushed garlic.