If there you ever needed a reason to indulge in black squid ink spaghetti - tis the season!
Pasta is always a great idea for dinner parties, since it's simple yet easy to elevate! To keep in line with our colour palette, we topped our spooky noodles with king oyster mushrooms, cream sauce, and parmesan.
Ingredients
400g dry squid ink pasta
6 king oyster, cut in half then into 3
1 shallot, chopped fine
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. butter, salted or unsalted
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups half and half (not fat-free)
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp sea salt (or to taste)
1 tsp cracked black pepper (or to taste)
1/2 cup pasta cooking water
How-To:
1. Get your pasta cooking to the packet instructions.
2. Place a non sticking griddle pan over a high heat & add a touch of oil. Add the mushrooms and grill until golden with a little salt & pepper, about 4-5 minutes, flipping over the mushrooms half way through.
3. In a large non-stick skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant, stirring constantly. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute or until lightly golden, again, stirring constantly.
4. Gradually whisk in half and half. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer until thickened, about 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally. If any lumps form, just whisk them out. As for cook time, you basically want the sauce to cook just until thickened. Properly thickened sauce should coat the back of your spoon. Stir in Parmesan cheese.
6. For this dish, we like to serve the sauce on the side for two reasons: one, it's so rich and we like let guests add as much as they desire, and two, so that the dark black colour of the pasta remains when you plate!
Let us know in the comments below if you have ever tried squid ink pasta!
