Squid Ink Pasta with Smoked Salmon, Citrus & Cream Cheese

Squid ink pasta in a creamy, citrus-y base with capers & spinach to elevate your pasta experience, albeit in a healthy and wholesome manner. Adapted from the authentic Italian seaside villages collectively called Cinque Terre, the unique yet simple ingredients come together to pack quite a flavour punch – try it to believe it!

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Pasta has always been my go-to comfort food choice (surprise 😛 ), because I believe it’s the most versatile and convenient meal options, and depending upon your mood you could change the ingredients and play it up in a zillion ways – the possibilities are soooooo exciting!

Squid Ink Pasta – The Story Behind

The inspiration for this recipe comes from a quaint sea-framed village called Corniglio that is one of the 5 villages which together form Cinque Terre in north-western part of Italy. We reached this village at 3pm and most of the restaurants were closing for the day, so we chose to walk to a rather pricey place perched high on a small hill, ordered rather expensive pasta and wine, put up with rather irritating and annoying behaviour from a pesky chef/ owner (Google reviewers felt the same too, unsurprisingly 😛 ), but when the homemade pasta arrived with bits of seabass and orange peel bits and lemon zest – my, was that perfection in a teeny pasta bowl!!

About Cinque Terre, Italy

The rugged winding coastline, sapphire blue – teal green sea waters, colorful as well as the quiet romance in air are some of the reasons to visit this Unesco Heritage site in Italy. However, the biggest reason that excited me was – you guessed it! – the Ligurian cuisine. This region celebrates pasta along with garlic, salmon and other fresh catch from the sea, lemons and oranges, and a wide variety of chillies! Not to mention the local wines which ranged from €2 per bottle to €48 a glass!!

I was in gastronomic heaven the entire time there – such was the endless variety of things to try here. Also, did I also worry about putting on additional pounds? NO CHANCE! For one thing, the hikes, walks, stairs, terraces – each of these meant a lot of physical activity. In fact, my average steps were about 18,000 per day, during my entire time in Italy. Another post on that as well, some day!

All About Squid Ink Pasta

Squid ink has been traditionally used to dye pasta black for centuries in Italian cuisine, rendering a rich, beautiful black tone to it. When I spotted a wholegrain squid ink pasta variant at a supermarket in Rome, I knew I HAD to get some home and try to recreate the magical experience of Corniglio. In addition to being characteristically jet black, squid ink spaghetti does have a briny, salty taste, therefore be prepared to be taken by surprise a bit when you taste it.

Warning:  Since this pasta uses the ink from squid, hence it is definitely not vegetarian. Those with shellfish allergy, therefore proceed with caution (I’m allergic to shellfish, but I did just fine with this pasta. However, if you are allergic to shellfish too, it is better to do your own research on allergens and proceed to eat it).

Squid Ink Pasta with Smoked Salmon, Citrus & Cream Cheese

This dish is very simple and easy to make, not to mention real convenient too, especially if you’re hosting a gathering at home and would like to delight your guests with a special and unusual main dish, all with very less prep-work! The tangy capers, freshness of lemon zest and sourness of preserved orange peel contrast beautifully with the richness of fresh cream cheese and salmon, creating a delectable burst of flavours – the simplicity of this dish is in using less cheese and few ingredients. Don’t have cream cheese in your pantry? No fuss – you can also switch cream cheese with parmesan or gouda cheese. Just grate a little quantity and sprinkle over the dish – even helps you go lighter on the fat calories from cheese.

Wish to explore other wholesome and healthier pasta recipes? Check these out:

Cacio e Pepe with Green Peas and Nutritional Yeast

Zoodles with Spinach Pistachio Pesto Sauce and Nutritional Yeast

Whole Wheat Spaghetti in Homemade Pesto Sauce

For more healthy comfort-food options, try my

Creamy Barley Risotto

 Pad Thai Noodles & Fried Tofu in Peanut Sauce

Nasi Goreng with Black Rice & Chickpeas

RECIPE: SQUID INK PASTA WITH SMOKED SALMON, CITRUS & CREAM CHEESE

Serves 4

Preparation Time: 15 minutes, Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 250g whole-wheat squid ink spaghetti
• 110g smoked salmon, torn into small chunks
• 200g Spinach, chopped
• 5-6 garlic pods, sliced
• 9-10 capers, drained
• 100g fresh cream cheese
• 1 tsp fresh lemon zest
• 1 tbsp preserved orange peel, chopped (See Notes)
• 1 tsp paprika (for seasoning)
• 1 tsp pepper, fresh-ground
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp truffle oil (optional)
• 1.5 liters water, for boiling pasta

INSTRUCTIONS

Add ¼ tsp salt to water and bring it to boil in a large pan. Add pasta and cook as per instructions on package till the pasta is al dente (soft yet with a firm bite). Reserve some water for the sauce and drain the rest of it.

Meanwhile, microwave chopped spinach for 2 minutes. This helps in retaining its nutrients. Allow to cool.

Add oil and sliced garlic in a non-stick pan and then increase the heat to medium. Subsequently add torn salmon chunks and allow to cook on a medium flame for 3 minutes. Be gentle with the salmon pieces as they tend to break down.

Add fresh cream cheese and some water reserved from drained pasta. Mix until the cream cheese melts into a uniform sauce.

Add capers, orange peel bits and microwaved spinach. Cook for 2 minutes

Toss the spaghetti into the sauce. Mix well so the sauce coats the spaghetti uniformly.

Sprinkle lemon zest, paprika, pepper and turn off the flame.

Add a touch of truffle oil on top of pasta in individual serving bowls and serve immediately.

I’d love to hear how this recipe turned out for you, if you tried it. Do post a pic on Instagram and tag #fitfoodiediary in the picture!

NOTES

• To preserve orange peel, add clean orange peel slices in a clean, dry glass jar and fill with oil of your choosing until the slices are fully submerged. This infused oil can be added to salads, while baking cakes/ cookies, etc and orange peel can be used to flavor a variety of recipes.
• If you don’t find squid ink pasta or are allergic to shellfish, opt for any other wholegrain spaghetti variant.
• To preserve the jet black color of squid ink pasta, ensure that you cook it only al dente. Overcooking may release white starch, making it quite unappealing.