Dinner party, summer nights: Squid Ink Fresh Pasta in White Wine Sauce

Squid ink pasta. Sounds intriguing, no? As one of the fresh pasta selections at Eataly, I couldn’t resist. Linguini in white clam sauce is a family favorite, so I decided to make a twist on that recipe with the fresh pasta. And what better to pair with squid ink than other creatures from the sea? So to kick off the summer, I decided to whip together a seafood pasta in white wine sauce. It’s the perfect recipe if you’re looking for a light, filling meal that is flavorful, delicious, and even visually challenging. Plus, you get to drink all the white wine leftover from cooking.

And for the record, there is no glaring taste difference between regular wheat pasta and pasta with squid ink. My mom had a really hard time enjoying it because of the color, but hey, I said it was visually challenging!

Squid Ink Fresh Pasta in White Wine Sauce
(serves 4):
2/3-1 lb fresh squid ink pasta (this can be substituted with half a box of dry linguini)
1 lb clams
½ lb mussels
1 cup white wine
½ cup clam juice
¼ cup olive oil
6 cloves garlic (sliced)
Basil, parsley (chopped)
Salt, pepper, lemon zest

1. Prepare a pot of boiling water for the fresh pasta. Remember to add salt.

2. Heat olive oil and garlic in a pan on high heat. Then add the white wine and let it reduce for a minute.

3. Then add the parsley, clams, mussels, and clam juice to the pan. Cook until the shells open, and then add lemon zest and basil. Finally, add salt and fresh pepper to taste.

4. Once the pasta is prepared, sautee it in the white wine sauce and add more olive oil if necessary.