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This black squid ink pasta recipe with garlic and olive oil is perfect for your Halloween dinner party menu or as an easy dinner year-round. It’s budget-friendly, flavorful, and easy to make in just 20 minutes!
What is Aglio e Olio?
Aglio e olio is an Italian pasta dish that’s traditionally made with linguini or spaghetti pasta, extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, and crushed red pepper flakes.
Additionally, we add parmesan cheese and parsley for both color and flavor. And in this recipe we use black squid ink spaghetti pasta to make it a fun option for Halloween dinner!
Why This Recipe Works All Year (In Addition to Halloween!)
- It’s a quick and easy weeknight-friendly dinner. It’ll help you put dinner on the table in 20 minutes from start-to-finish!
- You only need a handful of ingredients. When you cook with bold flavors like olive oil, garlic, and crushed red pepper flakes, you don’t need a huge ingredient list. With simple ingredients, this is basically a pantry recipe.
- It’s affordable. After all, it’s pasta! You don’t have to use black squid ink pasta, go for regular spaghetti or linguine to make it even more budget-friendly.
Ingredients
Breaking It Down
Ingredients Explained
In this section I explain the ingredients and give substitution ideas where applicable. For the full recipe (including the ingredient amounts), see the recipe card below.
- Squid ink spaghetti – Using black squid ink pasta makes this a fun Halloween meal! You can also use squid ink linguini, or of course regular spaghetti or linguini.
- Extra-virgin olive oil – Go for the really good stuff here. There are minimal ingredients, so each ingredient shines.
- Garlic – Garlic is a key flavor in this dish. I like to thinly slice it, but if you want extra garlic flavor (maybe to keep the vampires away on Halloween?!), you can crush it. Once it’s sliced or crushed, we essentially toast the garlic in olive oil. To avoid the dish becoming bitter, the garlic should be a light golden brown (not dark brown), and have a pleasant nutty, garlicky aroma.
- Pasta water – Reserved from boiling the pasta right before you drain it.
- Coarse kosher salt – This is in addition to the salt for the boiling water to make sure our pasta isn’t bland. (Side Note: I’ve heard Italians say you should salt the water for boiling pasta so it tastes like the sea!) In this recipe we use 1 teaspoon of coarse kosher salt, but start with about 1/2 teaspoon if you use fine table salt.
- Coarsely-ground black pepper – You can use less if you’re using finely-ground black pepper.
- Crushed red pepper flakes – This adds a spicy heat to the dish that beautifully compliments the richness of olive oil. You can adjust the amount of crushed red pepper flakes up or down to suit your tastes.
- Parsley – Fresh parsley is optional; it adds bright flavor and pops of green color.
- Parmesan – Parmesan isn’t in the original aglio olio recipe, but I like to add it for flavor. You can leave it out if you prefer.
How to Make This Black Squid Ink Pasta Recipe
- Thinly slice the garlic.
- Cook the pasta to al dente according to the package directions in salted water, and then drain it.
- Just before you drain it, reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
- Add the oil to a large, deep skillet over medium to medium-low heat. Add the sliced garlic and sauté until it turns golden brown and smells aromatic, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the cooked pasta, 1/2 cup pasta water, salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, and half of the chopped parsley to the skillet with the garlic.
- Heat everything up for 1 to 2 minutes while tossing the pasta. Transfer the pasta to a serving dish. Top with the remaining chopped parsley and parmesan. Serve warm.
Variations
- For a bright, citrusy note, serve this dish topped with a sprinkle of fresh lemon zest.
- Add a 4-ounce tin of anchovies along with the garlic. Use a wooden spoon to break the anchovies apart as they cook.
- To add a little bit of crunch, top with a sprinkle of toasted breadcrumbs right before serving.
Storage & Reheating
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. This pasta dish heats best in a skillet over medium heat on the stovetop; add a splash of water if needed when reheating.
Expert Tips
- If you have a shellfish allergy, note the term “shellfish” includes both crustaceans and mollusks. Squid is a mollusk, and you should avoid squid ink pasta if you have a shellfish allergy. If you still want to use with black pasta for a Halloween-themed meal, you can use black bean spaghetti or another type of black pasta that’s not made with squid ink.
- For authentic aglio e olio, you can omit the parsley and parmesan cheese from this recipe. The traditional Italian dish features the bold flavors of good-quality olive oil, garlic, and crushed red pepper flakes in the forefront.
- Don’t forget to save some of the pasta water before you drain the spaghetti. We add a little bit of pasta water to the sautéed garlic in olive oil, and the starch in the pasta water emulsifies with the oil and creates a velvety coating for the pasta. It’s almost creamy!
What to Serve with Simple Garlic and Olive Oil Pasta
- A simple leafy green salad (whip up a batch of the best salad dressing to go with it!).
- Crusty, chewy homemade bread. Butter it if you’re a rebel (like me), or dip it in more olive oil to enjoy it the Italian way.
- If you’re wondering what protein to serve with pasta aglio e olio, there are a ton of options! Chicken cutlets, roast chicken, grilled steak, salmon, or for a vegan protein option, you can add a can of rinsed, drained cannellini beans or black beans.
- And if you’re making this recipe for a Halloween party or as part of your Halloween dinner menu, start the meal off with Halloween deviled eggs and Halloween soup!
Frequently Asked Questions
Olive oil! Use good quality extra-virgin olive oil, and be generous with it.
Of course that’s not to say that some Italians don’t also use butter on their pasta! However, traditional aglio e olio hailing from Naples is made with olive oil.
No! The purpose of rinsing pasta after cooking is to remove the starch clinging to the outside of the pasta. However, the starch is what helps the sauce stick to the pasta.
More Pasta Recipes to Try
- Tortellini Pasta Salad
- 30-Minute Creamy Instant Pot Tortellini Soup
- Warm Pasta Salad with Caramelized Leek, Bacon, and Goat Cheese
Let’s Connect
Did you make this recipe? Please rate it and leave a comment below. You can also tag @anediblemosaic on social media.
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Black Pasta Recipe (Squid Ink Spaghetti Aglio e Olio for Halloween Dinner)
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Ingredients
- 1 pound squid ink spaghetti or linguini (or regular spaghetti or linguine)
- 1/2 cup good quality extra-virgin olive oil
- 8 large cloves garlic peeled and thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup pasta water reserved from boiling the pasta
- 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt start with about 1/2 teaspoon if using fine table salt
- 1/2 teaspoon coarsely-ground black pepper use less if using finely-ground
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes add more or less to taste
- 4 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped and divided (optional)
- 4 tablespoons shaved parmesan for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Cook the pasta to al dente according to the package directions in salted water. Just before you drain it, reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Drain the pasta.
- Add the oil to a large, deep skillet over medium to medium-low heat. Add the sliced garlic and sauté until it turns golden brown and smells aromatic, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the cooked pasta, 1/2 cup pasta water, salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, and half of the chopped parsley to the skillet with the garlic. Heat everything up for 1 to 2 minutes while tossing the pasta.
- Transfer the pasta to a serving dish. Top with the remaining chopped parsley and parmesan. Serve warm.
Notes
- Allergy Notice: If you have a shellfish allergy, note the term “shellfish” includes both crustaceans and mollusks. Squid is a mollusk, and you should avoid squid ink pasta if you have a shellfish allergy. If you still want to use with black pasta for a Halloween-themed meal, you can use black bean spaghetti or another type of black pasta that’s not made with squid ink.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. This pasta dish heats best in a skillet over medium heat on the stovetop; add a splash of water if needed when reheating.
- Make it Authentic: Omit the parsley and parmesan cheese from this recipe. The traditional Italian dish features the bold flavors of good-quality olive oil, garlic, and crushed red pepper flakes in the forefront.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximate.
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I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.
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