In another episode of gun-jumping I just could not wait to get this absolutely delicious, super simple summer pasta dish on your radar. After all, we only have 57 days until the summer equinox and it’s flying by fast. This recipe is another rarity that I’ve made more than once and it’s special because it’s delicious and beautiful enough for company, but easy enough to whip on a Thursday evening after work when the sun is still out at 8pm and you decided to have a few friends by for cocktails and dinner. Am I getting ahead of myself? I’m just so excited for the warmth of the sun.
I’ve become something of a seafood fiend. This recent trip to Ireland absolutely sealed that deal for me, with the most delicious Connemara oysters, East Cork turbot and countless other delicacies that were fresher and tastier than any seafood I’ve eaten before. And squid has always been a favorite for me – fried, braised, quickly sautéed on a bed of salad – I’ll eat it and love it any way it’s prepared. In this recipe, it’s cooked very quickly and tossed into lemony linguine with garlic and fennel. It’s such a no-brainer combination of fresh flavor, and it just works perfectly every time.
I know a lot of people are put off by squid, and I may not change your mind, but I can tell you that when it’s prepared right, it’s delicious. It’s tender, not rubbery, and tastes like the sea but isn’t fishy. I think there are many more people who enjoy eating squid but are intimidated to cook it, but I think it’s just a matter of understanding that squid can either be cooked for a long time (it’s delicious braised) or a very, very short time. Not a medium amount of time, unless you like chewing on rubber bands. This recipe calls for a short cooking time, at which point the squid is removed from the pan and incorporated back into the pasta later.
So I urge you, despite the rain and the wildly fluctuating temperatures that are giving us spring whiplash, boil a pot of water, pick up some squid and give this a shot. It will make you believe, if only for a minute, that it’s finally summer.
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 lb. squid (bodies and tentacles), bodies sliced ¼ inch thick
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large fennel bulb, thinly sliced lengthwise, plus 2 tablespoons fronds
- 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- ¾ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ½ lemon, seeds removed, very thinly sliced, divided
- 12 oz. linguine or fettuccine
- ½ cup parsley leaves with tender stems
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over high. Working in 2 batches, season squid with salt and pepper and cook, stirring often, until cooked through, about 3 minutes (don’t overcook or it’ll get rubbery). Transfer to a small bowl.
- Reduce heat to medium-high and heat 2 tablespoons oil in skillet (no need to wipe out). Add fennel slices, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and soft, 10–12 minutes (some nicely browned bits should be stuck to skillet). Add garlic, red pepper flakes, and half of lemon slices; cook, tossing occasionally, until garlic and lemon are soft, about 2 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain pasta, reserving 1 ½ cups pasta cooking liquid.
- Add pasta to skillet along with 1 cup cooking liquid. Toss, scraping up any browned bits; season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing and adding more cooking liquid as needed, until sauce coats pasta, about 3 minutes. Add squid and give it all another toss to combine.
- Toss parsley, fennel fronds, remaining lemon slices, and remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a small bowl; season with salt and pepper. Serve pasta topped with salad.
Notes
From Bon Appetit May 2015
