Pasta with pesto and calamari

Name: Pasta with pesto and calamari
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: Spaghetti 11.3 oz; Squid (to be cleaned) 1.3 lbs; Dry white wine 1.7 oz; Extra virgin olive oil to taste; Black pepper to taste; Basil 2 cups; Parmigiano Reggiano PDO cheese 1.5 oz; Pine nuts 1 oz; Extra virgin olive oil 6 tbsp; Fine salt to taste; Basil to taste

Difficulty: Easy
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Serving: 4
Cost: Average

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PRESENTATION

Recipe by
Lulù Gargari

Pasta with Pesto and Calamari gets a quieter, more flavorful treatment when you swap in totani—a squid that looks nearly identical to calamari but costs less and tastes more pronounced. Tossed with pesto alla genovese, the basil punch and mild brininess land in a combination that feels surprising until the first bite makes it obvious.

Totani are available year-round and easier on the budget, so this holds up as a fish-menu centerpiece rather than an occasional splurge. The herb-forward pesto does enough work against the gentle oceanic flavor that the dish carries itself without much effort at the stove.

INGREDIENTS

Spaghetti 11.3 oz (320 g)

Squid 1.3 lbs (600 g) - (to be cleaned)

Dry white wine 1.7 oz (50 g)

Extra virgin olive oil to taste

Black pepper to taste

For the basil pesto: Basil 2 cups (50 g); Parmigiano Reggiano PDO cheese 1.5 oz (40 g); Pine nuts 1 oz (25 g); Extra virgin olive oil 6 tbsp (80 g); Fine salt to taste

To garnish: Basil to taste

Preparation

How to prepare Pasta with pesto and calamari

To prepare pasta with pesto and squid, start with the pesto: in a food processor add the pine nuts 1, the basil leaves 2 and the salt 3.

Add the oil 4 and blend briefly to combine, then add the grated cheese 5. Pulse again intermittently until you obtain a creamy consistency 6.

Set the pesto aside and move on to cleaning the squid: remove the internal pen 7 and the entrails from the mantle, then remove the beak 8 and the eyes, rinsing everything thoroughly under running water. Cut the mantles into rings about 3/8 in (≈0.39 in) thick 9.

At this point cook the spaghetti in salted boiling water 10. Meanwhile, place the squid rings and tentacles in a pan with hot oil 11 and brown over high heat for 2–3 minutes. Deglaze with white wine 12 and let it evaporate completely, then reduce the heat to low to keep them warm.

Drain the spaghetti al dente and transfer them to the pan with the sauce 13. Increase the heat again and toss everything together 14, then season with pepper to taste 15.

Remove the pan from the heat and add the pesto 16, then mix well to combine 17. Garnish with a few basil leaves and serve your pasta with pesto and squid immediately 18!

Storage

It is recommended to eat pasta with pesto and squid immediately. The pesto can be stored in the refrigerator, in a jar well covered with oil, for 4 days.

Alternatively, you can freeze it in small jars.

Tip

Keep some of the pasta cooking water to add if necessary together with the pesto to adjust the consistency.

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