Main ingredients 🥩
PenneBasilPine nutsParmesan cheesePecorino cheeseGarlicLemon juiceOlive oilSquid
Sam Kim's Squid Penne Basil Pesto
A flavorful pasta combining chewy squid and penne with a fresh, aromatic homemade basil pesto.
🙋 Recommended for
- ⭐ Those who want to make a fragrant pasta with fresh basil instead of store-bought sauce.
- ⭐ Those looking for an appealing short pasta dish using penne instead of regular spaghetti.
Ingredients needed 🛒2 servings
- Penne 120g
- Fresh basil 40–50g
- Toasted pine nuts 20g
- Grated Parmesan cheese 2 tbsp
- Grated Pecorino Romano cheese 1 tbsp
- Garlic 2 cloves
- Lemon juice 1 tsp
- Olive oil 6 tbsp
- Squid 1/2
- Salt a pinch
- Pepper a pinch
Recipe 🍳
- In boiling salted water, cook the penne for about 12–13 minutes.
- Peel the squid, score the body, and cut into bite-sized squares.
- In a blender, combine fresh basil, lightly toasted pine nuts, grated Parmesan cheese, 1 clove of garlic, a little lemon juice, and 4 tbsp olive oil. Pulse until coarsely ground.
- Add grated Pecorino Romano cheese to the blended sauce, mix, and adjust seasoning to complete the basil pesto.
- In a pan, heat olive oil, add 1 sliced garlic clove and the prepared squid. Season with salt and pepper and quickly stir-fry.
- Once the squid is cooked, turn off the heat or remove the pan from the stove. Add the cooked penne, basil pesto, and some pasta water. Toss quickly using residual heat and serve.
- Cook the penne in salted water until al dente.
- Blend basil, pine nuts, Parmesan, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil to make pesto.
- Cut squid into bite-sized pieces and quickly stir-fry in a pan with salt and pepper.
- Off the heat, toss hot penne with basil pesto and pasta water until well coated.
Cooking tips 💡
- When making basil pesto, grind it coarsely rather than too fine for better texture and flavor.
- Basil discolors easily when heated, so always toss the pasta and pesto off the heat to maintain a vibrant green color.
- Adding Pecorino Romano cheese gives a saltier, deeper authentic Italian taste.
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