Squid Pasta Salad With Lots of Basil and “Hot Sauce”

This is a pasta dish with few elements but lots of flavor. If you want to scale this up to serve more, sear the squid in batches to avoid crowding, which ruins your chances of getting a good sear and causes your squid to steam instead.

6 ounces spaghetti or other long pasta Sea salt

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 8 garlic cloves, sliced thin

2 teaspoons chile flakes ½ teaspoon black pepper 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

8 ounces squid, cleaned, body cut into ½ inch rings

Leaves from 1 bunch basil, large ones torn in half

Instructions: Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until very al dente. Drain and in a large bowl toss with 1 tablespoon of the extra-virgin olive oil.

While the pasta is cooking, make the hot sauce. Add the garlic, chile flakes, black pepper and 1 teaspoon salt in a mortar and pound into a thick, smooth paste. (If you don’t have a mortar; double this sauce recipe and make it in a food processor; i use leftovers to make this pasta again or thin with olive oil and vinegar for a vinaigrette.) Add 4 tablespoons olive oil and the red wine vinegar and mix with a fork or small whisk, until almost emulsified. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, toss the squid with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, making sure each piece is coated. Heat a large saute pan over high heat. The pan should be very hot and may take several minutes to heat up. Test with a few small droplets of water: if they skid and evaporate quickly, it is hot enough. Add the squid to the pan in batches to avoid crowding. Each piece wants to have contact with the pan so it gets caramelization and crust. You will be tempted to move the squid around. Resist. After 2 minutes, turn the squid with tongs and cook for 1 more minute. Turn the heat down to low and add the seared squid to the cooked pasta bowl.

In the same saute pan, add the mortared hot sauce paste and ¼ cup water. Simmer until fragrant, turn off heat, and then pour the sauce into the pasta squid bowl. Add the basil leaves, and toss well to mix. Divide pasta into serving bowls, drizzle with more olive oil and top with flake salt if you’d like.