Author Notes
I am a huge fan of Squid Ink Pasta and love how its subtle flavor infuses all the components of a good sauce with it's briny tang, so it was an easy choice to go with for this recipe. The Red Pepper theme for this week, inspired me to try a roasted red pepper pesto and the results were delicious! I spruced up the pesto with some sundried tomatoes and a wonderful spice that I bought, but hadn't yet had the chance to use, Piment d'Espelette. I made my own tagliatelle, but I have seen squid ink pasta in some Italian and Mediterranean markets as well, so hopefully, it isn't too hard to find. The Piment d'Espelette added a slight and wonderful warm, smokey peppery-ness to the sauce, but can be omitted or substituted with a smoked paprika or just freshly ground pepper will do. - TiggyBee —TiggyBee
Test Kitchen Notes
This dish was so outstanding! I had recently purchased Italian artisan squid ink spaghetti and was saving it for the right ingredients. Well, everything was in perfect harmony and truly inspired. I only used 4 large peppers and had plenty of pesto to dress the pasta (mixed with a bit of the pasta cooking water). The pesto sauce alone is worth making by the way. Am grateful to learn about the piment d'esplenette she recommends. Great recipe! – Amber Olson
—The Editors
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Ingredients
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8
large red bell peppers
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3
cloves of garlic
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1/2 cup
roasted pine nuts
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1/2 cup
extra virgin olive oil
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1/4 cup
sundried tomatoes (packed in olive oil)
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2 pinches
Piment d'espelette or smoked paprika (optional)
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sea salt to taste
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1 pound
scallops
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butter for sautéing scallops
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3
eggs
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2 cups
all purpose flour
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2 tablespoons
squid ink
Directions
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Place the red peppers whole in a baking dish and roast them in a 500 degree oven for 30-40 minutes, turning once after 15-20 minutes. The peppers are done when the skin is charred and wrinkled. The bottom of the dish can be sprayed with cooking spray to avoid sticking.
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When the peppers are done, remove from oven and place aluminum foil over the dish to trap the steam (this makes peeling them easy) and let cool for 30-45 minutes. Peel the skin and discard along with the tops and seeds.
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In a food processor, combine the garlic, pine nuts, olive oil, Pimente d'Espelette or paprika (again, this is optional) and sea salt and pulse until it's well combined.
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Lastly, add the peeled peppers and the sundried tomatoes and gently pulse a few times so that the peppers and tomatoes retain a bit of their chunky texture.
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For the pasta: in a food processor, combine the 3 eggs, flour and squid ink and pulse until mixed completely (it should form into a ball) and you have a rich, black color.
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Spread some flour on a clean surface and knead the dough for about 15 minutes, adding a bit of the flour as you go, if the dough is too wet. Tugging at the dough, it should have a good stretch to it.
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Let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes in the fridge, then divide it in half and roll the two portions one at a time through the pasta machine until it is a thin sheet, and then select whichever attachment you want the pasta to be in the shape of (I chose tagliatelle)
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To cook the pasta: Boil and salt the water and when the water is almost to a boil, begin your scallops.
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For the scallops: heat some butter and olive oil in a sauté pan and place the clean, dry scallops in the pan, salt and pepper them to your liking and sauté them for about 3 minutes a side.
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There will be a wonderful sweet scallop flavor in the sauté pan after they are cooked, save this and gently heat the pesto in it.
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Cook the fresh pasta for about 2 and a half minutes and drain. Add the pasta to the pesto in the sauté pan and toss. Place the scallops on top and enjoy!
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