Name: Squid Ink Spaghetti with Pepperoni and Peas
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 150 g Squid Ink Spaghetti; 1 Garlic Clove; 75 g Spicy Pepperon; 125 g Frozen Peas; 2 Tbsp Olive Oil; Salt and Pepper; Parmesan Shavings

15-minute pasta recipes that look great and taste great need to be a part of every home cooks repertoire. This Squid Ink Spaghetti with Pepperoni and Peas has got to rank up there with my favourite mid-week quick dinners.

Close up portrait image of a tall pine of squid ink spaghetti on a white plate served with peas, pepperoni and parmesan cheese shavings

Squid Ink Spaghetti with Pepperoni and Peas.

Oooh, look at the black pasta. I am loving using squid ink pasta at the moment. The silky almost velvet texture forms the bedrock of this stupidly simple pasta recipe.

It is one of those meals you can throw together really quickly with ingredients you have lying around.

I’ve always got some form of pepperoni or salami in the house, the same goes for peas! You could even swap it out for chorizo as I use in this chorizo pasta recipe.

You could even use regular spaghetti rather than squid ink spaghetti and this recipe will still taste ‘da bomb’. Do the yoof still say that? Probably not… Anyway, it will!

Squid ink has been used to colour food from Japan to Europe for Hundreds of years.

It adds more texture to pasta than flavour, which I talk more about in this spaghetti and shrimp recipe.

Portrait image of a tall pine of squid ink spaghetti on a white plate served with peas, pepperoni and parmesan cheese shavings on a wooden table

The Secret to Cooking Simple.

At its heart, this dish really is just some spaghetti with pepperoni and some peas.

In order for this to work you need the best ingredients you can. Cheap ‘value’ pasta or pepperoni will make this dish taste pretty crappy!

That really is the key to simple dishes… Great ingredients! There is nowhere for cheap ingredients to hide when we are cooking with so few ingredients.

It is the same ethos behind another of my squid ink pasta recipes with bacon and spinach.

I also swear by fresh locally grown stuff, so local much of it comes from my garden.

But this recipe also shows that good frozen vegetables can make a really great meal too and peas are the granddaddy of frozen veg for me.

2 Servings

Squid Ink Spaghetti with Pepperoni and Peas

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Looks classy but takes 15 minutes, this Squid Ink Spaghetti with Pepperoni and Peas has got to rank up there with my favourite mid-week super quick dinners.

Ingredients

150 g Squid Ink Spaghetti
1 Garlic Clove
75 g Spicy Pepperon
125 g Frozen Peas
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
Parmesan Shavings

Instructions

Defrost the peas by running under cold water for a few minutes.
Finely slice the garlic.
Dice the pepperoni into chunks roughly the same size as a pea.
Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the spaghetti as per the instructions on the packet, you can of course use regular spaghetti rather than squid in spaghetti.
Whilst your spaghetti is cooking heat a pan over a medium heat and when warm add in the olive oil and the garlic and saute for 60 seconds.
Then add in the pepperoni and cook for 4-5 minutes allowing to to slowly release its oils.
Now set aside the pepperoni until you are ready to drain the pasta.
When you are ready to drain the pasta return the pepperoni to a low-medium heat and add in the peas.
Drain the pasta retaining a little of the cooking liquid and add to the pepperoni and peas and toss to coat in the lovely oil adding a good grind of black pepper.
Serve topped with Parmesan shavings.

Notes

I like to sprinkle with fresh chives before serving.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 555Total Fat: 29gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 218mgSodium: 1132mgCarbohydrates: 40gFiber: 4gSugar: 4gProtein: 33g

Calorific details are provided by a third-party application and are to be used as indicative figures only.

Erren

Tuesday 28th of March 2017

That color is stunning! This dish looks and sounds so unique and delicious, I'd try this in a heartbeat!

Brian Jones

Wednesday 29th of March 2017

Thanks Erren, I do love the drama squid ink pasta adds to a dish, plays so well with the reds and greens, tastes mighty fine too!

Marsha | Marsha's Baking Addiction

I've never heard of this spaghetti before, I'm intrigued! Looks delicious!

Really? You must give it a try it is really tasty.

Christine

This dish looks very elegant and adult, if that makes sense! ?

Ooooo does that qualify me as an adult :D Yay me, my Mum always said I would grow up one day ;)

Helen @ Fuss Free Flavours

The squid ink is such a crazy colour, but it adds that amazing quality to the simple food. I love simple meals, particularly when I've had a busy day, so I'm all for three ingredient recipes.

Totally with you, adds just a splash of 'bling' to what is a really simple quick and achievable meal any day of the week.

Gillian Thompson

This looks delicious. I love squid ink pasta but rarely buy it as it's usually only found in speciality stores. Love the colour contrasts of the ingredients. yummy.

It seems to have gained quite some traction here in Hungary with many of the larger stores carrying at least one brand, even out here in the countryside :o