sea monster

I love seafood. I work at a sushi restaurant and I live comfortably close to an awesome local fish market. If you are agreeing with me "oh yeah, I love seafood too" and your thoughts are pleasantly drifting to past meals of spot prawns, wild salmon, sustainably harvested scallops and raw oysters caught in the best months (september - december) that is GREAT! But it is not enough, sorry. I want you to be more daring. Let's talk squid.

Superb Squid Pasta for Two

(and if you make it vegetarian, it's pretty damn good too)

2 cleaned squid tubes
4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely sliced
zest of 2 lemons and juice of 1 lemon
1 onion, diced
1 cup marinated artichoke hearts, chopped
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes, chopped
extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
capers
1 glass of white wine
enough pasta for two people (sorry this is not very exact but that's why i like cooking, it's less fussy than baking) and use FRESH pasta if you can, linguine is best for this.

You want to thinly slice (1/4 inch) your squid tubes so you have a bunch of squid "o"s. Perfect. In a bowl, mix the squid with 2 cloves of garlic, most of the lemon zest, half of the lemon juice and a splash of oilve oil. Let marinate at room temperature for no longer than 15 minutes.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Use more salt than you think you should. It is good for the pasta. Cook your pasta according to the directions on the package. If you are using fresh pasta, you only need to boil it for 2-3 minutes.

Meanwhile, get a large pan going with two tablespoons of olive oil on medium-high heat and add your onion. Saute until it starts to sweat and add 2 cloves of your garlic. Add your artichoke hearts and sundried tomatoes (the additional oil from these will help keep your garlic from burning). Add the squid and the marinade and toss around vigorously. After a minute the squid will start to go opaque and you will smell it cooking. Now add the wine. Give it a little stir and allow it to cook for another 3-4 minutes to let it reduce slightly.

When your pasta is al-dente, drain it in a colander and immediately toss it in the pan with the squid. Add a drizzle of olive oil, the rest of the lemon juice and zest, some salt and freshly ground pepper and a sprinkling of capers. Done.

Be bold.

Recipe by Aubrie Chaylt. Photo from Google Images.