nero di seppia spaghetti
October 13, 2010 § Leave a Comment
I traveled throughout Italy two years ago and brought back enough varieties of pasta to fill an entire suitcase. Spaghetti al nero di seppia (squid ink) is one which I despairingly wish could be easily available on the shelves of North American supermarkets as they are on the streets of Rome.
[Two years later and out of pasta] Last month, while in transfer at Fiumicino airport in Rome on my way from Istanbul, I was wide-eyed at the sight of nero di seppia pasta at Duty Free. My reverie of a delicious dish of squid ink spaghetti quickly vanished upon sticker shock: the price tag was 8 Euros, twice as much as on the streets and nearly CAD$12. After much ruminating, I had to put it down.
Well, the pasta gods answer prayers. A few hours crossing the Atlantic led me to (somewhat) forget about the overpriced commodity and I flew directly to my parents in Michigan where, astonishingly, my mom presented me a box of nero di seppia spaghetti she randomly found at Marshalls for a jaw-dropping price of US$3!
O.T. is in T.O. this week and a worthy cause for the use of my precious pasta.
My cooking is almost always ad hoc and impromptu, but I kept record of my steps for you to trace:
250 g nero di seppia spaghetti
1-1/2 lb fresh cultivated mussels
2 tbsp olive oil
1/3 c butter
3 cloves garlic
1/3 large vidalia onion, finely chopped
1 plum tomato, finely chopped
1/4 c sundried tomato pesto
10-12 cremini mushrooms, sliced
1/2 c water
salt and pepper, to taste
1. In a sautee pan, heat the olive oil and butter.
2. Sautee garlic and onions. Add tomatoes, pesto, and water.
3. Add the cremini mushrooms and mussels and simmer covered until the shells have opened and the flesh is yellow. Add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Boil the spaghetti, drain, and season with the sauce. Buon appetito!
