Once you've perfected basic techniques like frying an egg and cooking rice, it's time to move on to those things that may have initially scared you off. Every other Monday, chef Camille Becerra is going beyond the basics to help us tackle even the scariest cooking techniques.

Today: Homemade pasta that tastes like the sea.

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Everyone seems to love squid ink pasta for its shocking color and extra dimension of flavor; the squid ink adds salty, ocean-y notes to fresh pasta. While it's normally found in restaurants, this is a dish that is simple enough to make at home. You just need a little extra time, and one special ingredient.

Homemade pasta is great to make when you're home all day on a weekend and you can leisurely spend the day in the kitchen. Pour yourself a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, and enjoy the process of pasta making.  

To start, measure out 3 cups of flour on your counter or tabletop. If you're not using squid ink, add 3 pinches of salt.

 

Make a well. Crack four eggs into the well followed by 3 tablespoons of squid ink. With a fork, beat the eggs until smooth. Little by little, add the flour into your egg-ink mixture, making sure that the flour is absorbed before you add more. Do this until you find you no longer need the fork -- this is when you want to begin kneading.  

 

If you find that the dough is forming and you have an excess amount of flour, move the dough off to the side, adding flour only as needed. Keep kneading until a beautiful, smooth dough has formed.

 

Wrap dough in plastic wrap, then let it rest for at least 2 hours: one in the fridge and one on the counter. This dough can be made up to a day before, and kept in the fridge. Remove from the fridge an hour before you plan on rolling it out.

  

Cut the dough into quarters, and as you roll out each piece, keep the others covered. When rolling pasta with a rolling pin, be prepared to use a good amount of flour to prevent sticking.  

Fold the pasta over itself a few times, and then cut it to your desired width. (Folding it first ensures uniform size.) Let it rest on clean kitchen towels while you prepare to cook it.

 

Cook in a large pot of sea-salty water until al dente. I like to serve it simply with fresh chili, chili oil, lemon, and grated parmesan. 

 

 Photos by Tara Sgroi

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Camille Becerra

Written by: Camille Becerra

Chef

13 Comments

Sharon H. September 18, 2019
You say you like it with chili oil and chilis. Can you tell me what kind you use?
 
Iamjen February 23, 2018
I made this diugh tiday and it's still resting. It feels a little too soft to me. Can I add more flour
 
Greenstuff February 23, 2018
Yes. Pasta making varies with weather and other conditions, so yes, you can add a little more flour. Look at the instructions above--note, that she uses ample amounts of addition flour when rolling the pasta out.
 
Bb August 14, 2015
Hi, I know this is an older article. ...can you please tell me what flour you used? Thanks.
Greetings from France
 
Cindy R. January 14, 2014
My husband is a compulsive shopper and came home one day with cuttlefish ink. We're just dying to try to make pasta with it but we have one question: which kind of flour is needed here? AP or 00?
 
ambradambra December 3, 2013
Squid (or cuttlefish) ink stew is also delicious. I first had in 1983 in San Sebastian, Spain. Have just written my latest post about it, which includes a Spanish recipe for the stew. Delicious. http://ambradambra.wordpress.com/2013/11/27/spanish-cuttlefish-with-italian-attitude/ …
 
Judy October 22, 2013
Beautiful photography and preparation! We bought some squid and I would like to use the fresh ink in this recipe. Do you think it will work vs. the thicker ink you have here? Thank you.
 
walkie74 September 23, 2013
Ok, so where does one get squid ink, exactly?
 
Greenstuff September 24, 2013
You don't say where you are--but the local place I get it has an on-line presence, including squid ink http://www.spanishtable.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=6979641314
 
Camille B. September 24, 2013
Great source, Greenstuff. Alternately, your fishmonger can easily get it for you at your request.
 
Greenstuff September 23, 2013
Love squid ink pasta too. You know what would be over-the-top great with it? The octopus that Camille Becerra wrote about in her last "Beyond the Basics" column, http://food52.com/blog/8123-how-to-cook-octopus
 
Camille B. September 24, 2013
Indeed! :)
 
carswell September 23, 2013
I absolutely love squid ink pasta - not that I've made it from scratch - but there's something so elegant about those black noodles on the plate especially when paired with an oil based dressing and brightly coloured ingredients.