TheBurg

Squid Ink Pasta and Shrimp IngreDIents • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided • 1 pound uncooked, cleaned and de-veined raw shrimp • A tablespoon of Calabrian chili paste or a teaspoon of red chili flakes (I used the chili paste) • 3 or 4 cloves fresh garlic, finely chopped • 2 cups fresh heavy cream • 10 to 12 ounces squid ink pasta • 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese • Salt to taste • Chopped parsley (optional) DIrectIons • Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a non-stick skillet. Sauté the shrimp over medium low heat for about 2 minutes. Add 1 or 2 teaspoons of Calabrian chili paste or ½ to 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes if you prefer a little kick to your dish. Keep the shrimp warm until the sauce and pasta are finished. • Cook the squid ink pasta according to package directions. • In a large sauté pan or saucepan, melt the second tablespoon of butter over medium low heat and briefly cook the minced garlic. • Add the 2 cups of heavy cream and simmer it gently for about 15 minutes. (I kept stirring it and watching it carefully until it became moderately thick.) • When the cream has thickened, add the grated Parmesan and whisk it until very smooth. • Before draining the pasta, scoop out about a cup of pasta water to thin the sauce if needed. • Place the drained pasta into the pot with sauce and gently toss together. Add the sautéed shrimp and toss again. in with a little pasta water if needed. • Place the finished pasta in a large, warmed serving dish. Sprinkle with a little chopped parsley for a little color, if you want. • Ready to serve! So, I took my first bite. It was delicious! e sauce was just the right consistency. e garlic and chili gave just the right kick to the bland cream. e two tablespoons of butter were just enough. e cheese was a nice complement to the shrimp, although they are often not used together. And the pasta was not at all fishy. I am embarrassed to say, that for a very brief moment, I looked around for the TV cameras. It was fun. I am ready to make the dish with scallops or crab. Maybe lobster? What about lightly sautéed calamari for a perfect match? Give this a try. I think you will like it, too. Rosemary puts pot to ink. bY rosemArY ruggIerI bAer squiDDing aRounD F or a long time, I have wanted to try squid ink pasta. My husband and I often visit the little Italian restaurant, Pastorante, in Midtown Harrisburg. ey serve a beautiful dish of black squid ink pasta bathed in a rich cream sauce and topped with shrimp. I have come so close to ordering it only to default to my usual spaghetti with meatballs. I do like seafood very much, including calamari, but I don't like "fishy fish." And, since it's made from the black ink extracted from ocean squid, calamari or cuttlefish, I was certain squid ink pasta must be fishy. But after talking to several people who have eaten this unusual black pasta, I decided this Italian cook had to give it a try. So first, I had to find some. I found one bag at my favorite place at the West Shore Farmers Market, Peggy's Silver Spoon. is was dried pasta, although I would have preferred a fresh version, which Pastorante uses. Trying to re-create a dish I had only viewed from afar was a challenge. I knew that a cream sauce would be best for the dark pasta and, although I thought briefly about crab, I settled on shrimp. But I struggled with the mechanics of the dish. • Should I make a traditional béchamel? is is a blend of butter, flour and milk, and I wasn't sure a flour-based sauce was what I wanted. • Should I use cream and could I cook it long enough that it would thicken? Or maybe half and half to cut the richness? • What about other seasonings? Would chopped garlic or hot pepper add just the right touch? • Should I cook the shrimp separately from the cream sauce? • How much butter would be just enough or would olive oil be better? I normally follow recipes rather than create them. But spoiler alert: is turned out very well. Here are the ingredients I used, and this is what I did.

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