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Healthy Pizzoccheri (Buckwheat pasta) with Kale, Potatoes and Parmesan

This filling pasta dish is unlike your usual bowl of wheat or egg pasta. It packs a punch of nuttiness and a distinctive chewy consistency that comes from the buckwheat flour. If you are a pasta lover this Healthy Pizzoccheri Pasta is one to try!

What is Pizzoccheri?

Pizzoccheri is a type of pasta similar to wide tagliatelle, made from a combination of wheat and buckwheat flour. The traditional recipe is mainly made up of buckwheat flour, with the ratio usually 4 parts buckwheat flour to 1 part 00 flour, giving the pizzoccheri a really distinct texture and flavour.

You can read more below in the section about Making Pizzoccheri Pasta too.

Where does Pizzoccheri pasta originate from?

Its origins date as far as the 16th century and is a traditional dish from the Valtellina region of the north of Italy. Valtellina is in the Lombardy region, close to the Swiss border.

Valtellina in Lombardy – Image by 6557056 from Pixabay

How is Pizzoccheri traditionally served?

Pizzoccheri alla Valtellinese is a buckwheat pasta dish that is traditionally served with potatoes and savoy cabbage, which are boiled together with the pizzoccheri. The pizzoccheri are then dressed in garlic, butter, sage, Grana Padano (parmesan) and Valtellina Casera cheese.

Valtellina Casera Cheese is a DOP typical cheese made in the Valtellina region only so it can be hard to find. If not available is commonly replaced in recipes with Fontina, Gruyere or Gouda.

For my Healthy Pizzoccheri pasta dish, I reduced the cheese and butter amount compared to the traditional recipe. The recipe is of course though full of flavour and makes for a satisfying & delicious one plate meal!

Where can you buy Pizzoccheri?

Ready-made Italian dry Pizzoccheri pasta can be hard to find and is generally not available in supermarkets. Look for this in delicatessen stores or online italian importing specialists to get this type of pasta.

Alternatively, you can also buy a good quality buckwheat pasta from your supermarket. Look for one that has a high buckwheat content to be a similar version to Pizzoccheri.

Making Pizzoccheri Pasta

The other option to is to make Pizzoccheri pasta at home! There is a traditional recipe HERE on how to make Pizzoccheri.

NOTE: In the traditional recipe the ratio of buckwheat flour to wheat flour is 4 to 1 meaning the pasta is quite dense and nutty compared to your standard wheat pasta. If you prefer a milder, smoother pasta – the ratio of the buckwheat can be reduced to half buckwheat and half wheat.

To give you a comparison of texture, If you have eaten Soba noodles before, the shop brought varieties are usually 70% wheat and 30% buckwheat.

Ingredients needed to make this Healthy Pizzoccheri Pasta dish

For this Healthy Pizzoccheri Pasta dish you will need a handful of ingredients:

  • Pizzoccheri – or buckwheat pasta this recipe is using 250 gr of dried pizzoccheri, which will yield 2 very generous serves or 3 smaller serves of pizzoccheri.
  • Potatoes
  • Kale, Cavolo Nero or Savoy cabbage
  • Parmesan or Grana Padano
  • Garlic Cloves
  • Butter, Olive Oil, Salt & Pepper

How to make this Healthy Pizzoccheri Pasta

Cook the pizzoccheri together with the potatoes

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil, add Pizzoccheri and chopped potato and cook for about 10 minutes.

Sautee garlic and kale in olive oil

In the meantime, in a large non-stick pan add 3 tablespoons of olive oil and over low to medium heat sautee the garlic for 1-2 minutes, add the kale and half a cup of the pizzoccheri cooking water and cook down till softened for 3-4 minutes

Combine pizzoccheri and add parmesan and butter

Once the pizzoccheri are cooked, add them to the large pan, along with the butter, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, the grated parmesan, a pinch of salt and pepper and gently combine over low heat for 1 minute.

NOTE: Don’t overmix as the pasta can easily break!

Serve immediately

Serve immediately with additional olive oil, parmesan and pepper to taste, enjoy!

Want to read more?

If you love buckwheat pasta, you will love the recipe of Healthy Soba Noodle Salad!

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Healthy Pizzoccheri (Buckwheat Pasta)

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings 2 people

Ingredients

  • 250 gr Dried Pizzoccheri Pasta
  • 1 Potato (250 gr approx, peeled and chopped into 2-3 cm cubes)
  • 3 cups Kale (roughly chopped with stalk removed)
  • 6 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Plus extra for serving)
  • 2 Garlic Cloves (Finely Sliced)
  • 5 tbsp Butter (50 gr approx)
  • 50 gr Grated Parmesan (Plus extra for serving)
  • Salt & Pepper (to taste)

Instructions 

  • Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil
  • Add Pizzoccheri and chopped potato and cook for about 10 minutes
  • In the meantime, in a large non-stick pan add 3 tablespoons of olive oil and over low to medium heat sautee the garlic for 1-2 minutes, add the kale and half a cup of the pizzoccheri cooking water and cook down till softened for 3-4 minutes
  • Once the pizzoccheri are cooked, add them to the large pan, along with the butter, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, the grated parmesan, a pinch of salt and pepper and gently combine over low heat for 1 minute. Don't overmix as the pasta can easily break!
  • Serve immediately with additional olive oil, parmesan and pepper to taste

Notes

This recipe is using 250 gr of dried pizzoccheri, which will yield 2 very generous serves or 3 smaller serves of pizzoccheri.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: buckwheat pasta, easy dinner, healthy pasta, healthy pizzoccheri, pizzoccheri
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Pasta

Bucatini with Sardines

This simple Bucatini with Sardines has strong Mediterranean roots and is made with a handful of ingredients. The thick spaghetti-like pasta is the perfect accompaniment for the sardines and its salty lemony sauce.

Origins of this dish

Pasta with Sardines has strong roots in the south of Italy, with the most popular version being the Sicilian version called Pasta con le Sarde, made using wild fennel, sultanas and pine nuts.

The dish was originally made to celebrate the patron Saint Joseph (San Giuseppe) on 19 March, which also coincides with Father’s Day in Italy.

In Sicily, this simple, yet filling pasta dish is usually served with a crispy topping of Muddica Atturrata – which is toasted breadcrumbs with garlic, salt and olive oil.

The version I make here is a simpler version of a similar regional dish from the north of Italy called Bigoli con le Sarde.

The dish is typical of the area surrounding Lake Garda, made with locally fished sardines which are abundant from the lake. Sometimes fresh tomatoes and chilli are also added to the dish for additional flavour.

Ingredients required for this Bucatini with Sardines dish

Bucatini with sardines ingredients

Bucatini Pasta

Thick Bucatini pasta is used for this Bucatini with Sardine. Why is it called bucatini? Because the thick spaghetti-like pasta has a ‘buco‘, which is a little hole.

In the north of Italy, this dish is traditionally made using Bigoli, which is thick spaghetti-like pasta that is rough in texture and is made using a special extruder called Torchio or Bigolaro.

Sardine Fillets

Fresh sardine fillets which have been already cleaned and removed from large bones (skin on is fine) are used for this dish. An alternative is also to use canned sardines, which will require less cooking time and a bit less salt.

Sardines are used for this pasta dish
Image by Marc Pascual from Pixabay

Other Ingredients required

  • Red Onion & Garlic Cloves: For the soffritto.
  • Anchovy fillets: For additional saltiness and flavour
  • Lemon Juice & Rind for freshness to lift the dish
  • Fresh Parsley: Finely chopped to finish to sauce. (On a separate note, my favourite tool to chop parsley at the moment is my Tramontina Mincing Knife, in italian called a Mezzaluna, what a game changer!)
  • Salt, Pepper and Extra Virgin Olive Oil
serving the bucatini with sardines

How to make these Bucatini with Sardines

Fry anchovies with Onion and Garlic

making the soffritto

Start by heating the olive oil in a large non-stick fry pan. Add the onion, garlic and anchovy fillets and gently cook them down for 8-10 minutes till softened and slightly caramelized over low to medium heat.

In the meantime bring a large pot of water to the boil.

Add Sardines

adding the sardines to the soffritto

Once the onion and garlic have softened, add the sardine fillets to the pan.

Cook them stirring gently for 7-8 minutes over medium heat. They will break apart as they cook and that is totally fine.

Note: If using cooked tinned sardines, all you need is 1-2 minutes for them to combine with the onion and garlic and heat through.

In the meantime, start cooking the bucatini till al dente in a large pot of salted water, as per packet directions (should be around 6 minutes).

cooking the pasta

Combine with Bucatini

Once the bucatini is cooked, reserve half a cup of pasta water and add the cooked bucatini to the large pan with the sardines and combine over medium heat.

Adding the bucatini to the sauce

Add the lemon juice, the lemon rind, and some more olive oil. Adjust seasoning and add a good pinch of salt and pepper. Add the reserved pasta water and gently combine.

Garnish and serve

combining the sauce

Finally, add the chopped parsley, combine and take off the heat. Serve immediately! Enjoy!

Serving Size

The servings for this dish have been marked for 2 people but it’s a very generous serve (250 gr of pasta and 250 gr of sardine). This would be sufficient for 4 small entrée serves or 3 larger serves.

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Bucatini with Sardines

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Thick bucatini pasta stirred through a simple sardine, lemon and parsley sauce

Ingredients

  • 6 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 Red Onion (Finely Chopped)
  • 3 Garlic Cloves (Finely Chopped)
  • 6 Anchovy Fillets
  • 250 gr Fresh Sardine Fillets (cleaned and descaled, cut in 10 cm pieces)
  • 250 gr Bucatini Pasta
  • 1 Lemon (Juice and Rind)
  • 1 bunch Fresh Parsley (Finely Chopped)
  • Salt
  • Ground Pepper

Instructions 

  • Start off by heating 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a large non-stick fry pan.
    Add the onion, garlic and anchovy fillets and gently cook them down for 8-10 minutes till softened and slightly caramelized over low to medium heat.
    In the meantime bring a large pot of water to the boil.
  • To the pan add the sardine fillets and cook them stirring gently for 7-8 minutes over medium heat.
    In the meantime, start cooking the bucatini till al dente in a large pot of salted water, as per packet directions (should be around 6 minutes).
  • Once the bucatini are cooked, reserve half a cup of pasta water and add the cooked bucatini to the large pan with the sardines and combine with the sauce over medium heat.
  • Add the lemon juice, the lemon rind and a few tablespoons of olive oil. Adjust seasoning and add a good pinch of salt and pepper. Add the reserved pasta water and gently combine.
  • Add the chopped parsley, combine and take off the heat. Serve immediately! Enjoy!

Notes

Serving Size

The servings for this dish have been marked for 2 people but it’s a very generous serve (250 gr of pasta and 250 gr of sardine). This would be sufficient for 4 small entrée serves or 3 larger serves.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian, Mediterranean
Keyword: bigoli con le sarde, bucatini with sardine, pasta con le sarde

Want more?

I hope you loved this recipe of Bucatini with Sardines! If you want to check out more of my easy pasta recipes take a look at these Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccolini or Squid Ink Pasta with Prawns and Chilli.

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Baked conchiglioni with mushrooms and ricotta

This baked conchiglioni with mushrooms and ricotta is a delightful pasta dish that will make you come back for seconds! The large pasta shells are filled with ricotta and sauteed mushrooms, topped with bechamel, and baked till golden.

Ingredients required for these Baked Conchiglioni with Mushrooms and Ricotta

Stuffed pasta shells ingredients

  • Conchiglioni – it’s a type of pasta that is shaped like a large shell (Conchiglia in Italian). There are a few different versions and sizes of these, Conchiglie is a common one you find that is a smaller version of Conchiglioni. Conchiglioni is the largest and perfect for stuffing! I used this type of Conchiglioni Giganti.
conchiglioni pasta

Another pasta type of similar size of the Conchiglioni is called Lumaconi (taking the name of a snail with shell, a lumaca).

  • Mushrooms, I opted for using King Oyster Mushrooms but any type of button or oyster variety are great choices for these stuffed shells. I like using King Oyster Mushrooms or Baby Oyster Mushroom variety as they are so meaty and full of flavour!
king oyster mushrooms
Image by Peter Stanic from Pixabay
  • Three Cheeses – to make the filling for the shells extra tasty and creamy. Ricotta, Parmesan & Mozzarella to combine with the mushrooms.
  • Garlic & Butter, to sauté the mushrooms.
  • Salt, Pepper & Olive Oil

Bechamel Sauce Ingredients

Only 3 basic Ingredients are needed for a basic bechamel sauce. Butter and Flour to make a Roux, and Milk.

To season, Salt, Pepper and an essential ingredient that I always use in bechamel, grated Nutmeg! It adds a beautiful nuttiness and aroma to sauce which I love.

How to make these Baked Conchiglioni with Mushrooms and Ricotta

Fry the mushrooms

The first step to prepare the filling for these pasta shells is to gently sauté the mushrooms in finely chopped garlic, a knob of butter, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. The mushrooms will need to cook down for at least 10-15 minutes till the liquid from them has completely evaporated. Set aside to cool.

Boil the conchiglioni

In the meantime, bring a large pot of salted boiling water to the boil and cook the conchiglioni for 4 minutes. This is all they will need to gently soften and make it easy for you to stuff with the filling. They will continue cooking while baking when filled and not end up being overcooked!

Drain the conchiglioni of the excess water. In a large baking tray (I used a large 38 x 25 cm dish) drizzle a generous amount of olive oil and place the conchiglioni there in preparation to filling them.

Tip: Don’t wash up the pot that you boiled the conchiglioni in yet! You can use it for making the bechamel sauce later.

partially boiled conchiglioni before stuffing

Combine the mixture and stuff the shells

Combine the sauteed mushrooms with the ricotta, parmesan and mozzarella, this is the stuffing mixture ready and begin stuffing each shell with a small spoon.

stuffed conchiglioni before baking

Make the bechamel sauce

Start first by heating the oven to 180 (160 fan forced) in preparation for the shells to bake, as the bechamel won’t take long to make!

For the bechamel, start by melting the butter in a large pot over medium heat. When the butter is melted, add the flour and whisk vigorously till the butter and flour have combined and the roux starts to foam and thicken.

This is when you can add the milk. Add a cup at a time and keep stirring with the whisk to prevent lumps. You will see the sauce come to a boil and start to thicken (like a thick custard consistency), and this is when you will know that the sauce is done. Season to taste with a pinch of salt, ground pepper, and grated nutmeg. Remove from the heat to cool slightly.

Tip: You can make the bechamel sauce and filling in advance the day prior to save time, and just keep them in the fridge till you need it to top the stuffed conchiglioni!

Arrange the stuffed shells and top with bechamel

Once the bechamel is done, you can pour it over the stuffed conchiglioni and spread it across all of them so that they are all covered in sauce. Top with a sprinkle of more grated parmesan and some olive oil. The conchiglioni is ready for baking!

bechamel topping on the pasta shells before baking

Bake and Serve

Bake in a hot 180 degree (160 fan forced) oven for 35-40 minutes till golden. For an extra crispy top, turn on the grill for a few minutes! Serve immediately and enjoy!

stuffed pasta shells

Want more?

Loved this recipe of Baked conchiglioni with mushrooms and ricotta? Check out my other pasta recipes Sausage & Ricotta Pasta Bake and Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccolini.

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Baked Conchiglioni with mushrooms and ricotta

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings 4 servings
These large pasta shells are filled with ricotta and sauteed mushrooms, topped with bechamel, and baked till golden.

Equipment

  • 1 large baking dish 38 cm x 25 cm

Ingredients

Stuffed Conchiglioni

  • 300 gr Conchiglioni pasta (or large pasta shells or lumaconi)
  • 300 gr Raw King Oyster Mushrooms (roughly chopped)
  • 4 Garlic Cloves (finely chopped)
  • 1 tbsp Butter
  • 300 gr Fresh Ricotta
  • 200 gr Mozzarella (Cubed in 1 cm pieces or shredded)
  • 50 gr Parmesan (grated, plus extra for serving )
  • 6 tbsp Olive Oil
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Bechamel Sauce

  • 60 gr Butter ((approx 4 tbsp))
  • 60 gr Plain Flour ((approx 7 tbsp))
  • 600 ml Milk
  • half tsp Grated Nutmeg
  • Salt & Pepper to taste

Instructions 

  • In a large fry pan, add a few tablespoons of olive oil over low to medium heat. When hot, gently sauté the mushrooms, the finely chopped garlic and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Cook down for at least 15 minutes till the liquid from the mushrooms has completely evaporated. Take off the heat and add a tablespoon of butter and set aside to cool.
  • Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and cook the conchiglioni/shells for 4 minutes. Drain and set aside in a large baking tray with a few tablespoons of olive oil.
  • Now to making the filling, combine the sauteed mushrooms with the ricotta, parmesan (reserve a few spoonfuls for topping the shells when they are ready for the oven) and mozzarella. Begin stuffing each shell with a small spoon and place the shells back in the baking tray.
  • Heat the oven to 180 (160 fan forced) in preparation for the shells to bake, as the bechamel won't take long to make.
  • For the bechamel, start off by melting the butter in a large pot over medium heat. When the butter is melted, add the flour and with a metal whisk, whisk vigorously till the butter and flour have combined and the roux starts to foam and thicken.
    This is when you can add the milk. Add a cup at a time and keep stirring with the whisk to prevent lumps. You will see the sauce come to the boil and starting to thicken (like a thick custard consistency), and this is when you will know that the sauce is done. Season to taste with a pinch of salt, ground pepper and grated nutmeg. Remove from the heat to cool slightly.
  • Once the bechamel is done, you can pour it over the stuffed conchiglioni and spread it across all of them so that they are all covered in sauce. Top with a sprinkle of more grated parmesan and some olive oil. The conchiglioni is ready for baking!
  • Bake in a hot 180 degree (160 fan forced) oven for 35-40 minutes till golden. For an extra crispy top, turn on the grill for a few minutes! Serve immediately and enjoy!

Notes

Cooking tips:
  • Use the same pot to boil the shells and make the bechamel sauce to save some washing up.
  • You can make the filling and the bechamel up to a day in advance and store in the fridge, ready for stuffing the shells when you are ready to bake them.
Storage suggestions: The cooked conchiglioni will last in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
 
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: baked pasta, mushrooms and ricotta filling, pasta, pasta dish, stuffed conchiglioni, stuffed shells
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Pasta

Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccolini

This orecchiette with sausage and broccolini is an easy and tasty pasta dish that is full of flavour. The slight char that the orecchiette get from those final few minutes in the pan and the zest of lemon take this dish to the next level!

Ingredients for this Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccolini

This simple orecchiette dish makes for a light and delicious lunch or dinner. And best of all, only a handful of ingredients are needed to make this!

Orecchiette

Orecchiette is a pasta type made of semolina flour, rounded with a rough surface. It makes them cling on to any sauce beautifully.

They are a traditional pasta from the south of Italy, in the region of Puglia. One of the most popular dishes made with orecchiette is Orecchiette Con Cime di Rapa, with the traditional version using Broccoli Rabe (also called Rapini) and sometimes a hint of chilli.

Orecchiette in Italian means ‘little ears’ for the rounded shape that orecchiette has.

orecchiette pasta

Sausages

For this recipe I used italian style pork sausages. These generally have spices in the sausage mixture that include pepper, garlic, fennel seeds & chilli.

I find this style of sausages is perfect for this dish as it gives a lot of flavour to the broccolini and orecchiette. Another substitute for this would be also some pancetta or bacon – just reduce the amount by half so it doesn’t overpower the dish.

Broccolini

I used 2 small bunches (which are roughly 250 gr in total), you can also substitute this for Chinese broccoli or broccoli, shredded in smaller pieces.

orecchiette pasta

Other ingredients required:

  • Garlic
  • Lemon zest: to add at the end of cooking to give the dish a wonderful light citrus aroma to the orecchiette
  • Grated Pecorino
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Ground Pepper and Salt

How to make Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccolini

Bring a large pot of water to the boil

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Alongside set up a large fry-pan, which will be used to fry the sausage and broccolini. Add the orecchiette to the salted water to begin cooking.

Fry the sausage, garlic and broccolini

cooking off the broccolini with the sausage

In a large pan add a tablespoon of olive oil and fry the sausage pieces over high heat for 1-2 minutes till lightly charred.

Reduce the heat, add the broccolini and garlic, a good pinch of salt and pepper along with a ladle of pasta water and cook for for 7-8 minutes till the broccolini are tender and most of the water absorbed.

Combine

Once the orecchiette are cooked till al dente, reserve a cup of pasta water and strain them. Add them them in the pan with the sausage and broccolini.

combining the orecchiette with the sausage, broccolini and pecorino

Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the pecorino, lemon zest, a good pinch of pepper and a ladle of pasta water and combine over low heat for 1-2 minutes.

Turn off the heat and serve immediately with more grated pecorino and pepper to your liking.

Enjoy!

Want more?

Loved this recipe? Check out my other pasta recipes Sausage & Ricotta Pasta Bake and Slow Cooker Beef Ragu with frilly Pappardelle.

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Orecchiette with Sausage, Broccolini & Lemon

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 250 gr Orecchiette
  • 250 gr Pork Sausages (2-3 sausages, chopped)
  • 250 gr Broccolini (2 small bunches, chopped)
  • 3 Cloves Garlic (finely chopped)
  • 1 Lemon Zest (Zest of 1 whole lemon)
  • 20 gr Pecorino (Grated, and a bit extra to serve)
  • 4 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Salt & Pepper (to taste)

Instructions 

  • Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Alongside set up a large fry-pan, which will be used to fry the sausage and broccolini. Add the orecchiette to the salted water to begin cooking.
  • In a large pan add a tablespoon of olive oil and fry the sausage pieces over high heat for 1-2 minutes till lightly charred.
  • Reduce the heat, add the broccolini and garlic, a good pinch of salt and pepper along with a ladle of pasta water and cook for for 7-8 minutes till the broccolini are tender and most of the water absorbed.
  • Once the orecchiette are cooked till al dente, reserve a cup of pasta water and strain them. Add them them in the pan with the sausage and broccolini.
  • Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the pecorino, lemon rind, a good pinch of pepper and a ladle of pasta water and combine over low heat for 1-2 minutes.
  • Turn off the heat and serve immediately with more grated pecorino and pepper to your liking.

Notes

Serving Size: 250 gr of pasta will give you 2 very generous serves of pasta or 3 normal serves.
Storage: Best eaten immediately but will last in the fridge for 1-2 days. Reheat gently in a pan with a splash or water or microwave.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: easy dinner, easy pasta, easy recipe, orecchiette, pasta
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Pasta

Squid Ink Pasta with Prawns and Chilli

squid ink pasta

This Squid Ink Pasta with Prawns and Chilli is one of those pasta dishes with a WOW factor. Looks impressive, tastes divine and it’s a breeze to make! With only 15 minutes of cooking time you will want to make this every week!

Ingredients for this Squid Ink Pasta with Prawns and Chilli

ingredients for this squid ink pasta with chilli prawns

Squid Ink Spaghetti – Spaghetti con nero di seppia

Does Squid Ink Pasta taste different than normal pasta?

I love using Squid Ink Pasta, and I often buy Spaghetti. The colour is striking and they pair beautifully with a simple seafood sauce! The taste is slightly more saltier than traditional pasta. The pasta is made by adding squid or cuttlefish ink to the durum wheat.

Where is Squid Ink Pasta from?

squid
Image by falco from Pixabay

The origins of this type of pasta are set to be from Sicily, in the area near Catania. Fishermen did not want to waste anything from the squids and/or cuttlefish they caught so they would use the ink for a simple sauce for pasta added to garlic and tomatoes. Resourceful, and delicious right??

Where can you buy Squid Ink Pasta from?

You can find Squid Ink Pasta in Italian Specialty stores, delicatessen or online too!

squid ink spaghetti alternatives can be a thick spaghetti like a spaghetto quadrato

Substitutes Squid Ink Spaghetti

If you can’t get a hold of Squid Ink Spaghetti or wider Squid Ink Tagliatelle, you can most certainly substitute them with normal Spaghetti, Tagliatelle, or Fettuccine. For seafood pastas like this Squid Ink Pasta with Prawns and Chilli, I like to use slightly bigger versions of Spaghetti like a Spaghettoni or a Spaghetto Quadrato. I find it holds the sauce better.

Prawns

Prawns come in different shapes and sizes and you can go for what you can find and prefer but they need to be raw. Cooked prawns in the sauce will just get chewy and tough to eat! I used medium-sized raw prawns, that were already peeled and deveined.

prawns
Image by Robert Owen-Wahl from Pixabay

Chilli

I used dried chilli flakes like the ones pictured below for this recipe. I love adding this as it adds some heat and punch to the dish! You can substitute using chilli powder in equal amounts or omit the chilli completely if you prefer without and just add a little cracked pepper instead.

chilli powder

Cherry Tomatoes

I used fresh cherry tomatoes for this recipe as they are sweet and you can get maximum flavour from them in a short amount of time! Cooking them for as little as 15 minutes gives you a sweet and delicate sauce which is perfect for this Squid Ink Pasta.

cherry tomatoes are used for this simple sauce

Substituting for a can of diced tomatoes is possible but you would generally need to add a little more salt and some tomato paste for sweetness. Tinned tomatoes or Passata can also be used but the sauce will need to cook for longer (at least 20-30 minutes) to cook out the raw flavour of the tomatoes.

Other ingredients

Garlic (lots!), Fresh Parsley, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Salt and Pepper

How to make this Squid Ink Spaghetti with Prawns and Chilli

Have a large pot and alongside set up a large fry-pan, which will be used to make the sauce and cook the prawns.

Make the Squid Ink Pasta Sauce

In the fry pan with some olive oil over medium heat, gently fry the chopped garlic for 1 minute.

Add the cherry tomatoes, half a teaspoon of salt, some cracked pepper and the chilli flakes and cook for 8-10 minutes till the tomatoes have cooked down and the sauce thickened.

cooking the cherry tomatoes with the garlic and chilli

In the meantime, bring a large pot of salted water to the boil, and start cooking the Squid Ink spaghetti.

Add the prawns to the tomatoes in the pan and keep cooking till they change colour and are cooked through (3-4 minutes depending on the size).

cooking the prawns in the sauce will only take a few minutes

Combine

Once the pasta is cooked, reserve some pasta water. Strain the spaghetti and combine them in the fry pan with the prawns. Add a few spoonful’s of the reserved pasta water and the chopped parsley to the pan and stir to combine with the pasta and sauce. Turn off the heat.

Add a few tablespoons of olive oil and cracked pepper. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Want more?

Love spaghetti? Check out my other pasta recipes like Spaghettoni All’Amatriciana and Spaghetti Alla Carbonara.

squid ink pasta
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Squid Ink Spaghetti with Prawns and Chilli

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings 2 people

Ingredients

  • 250 gr Squid Ink Pasta (like Spaghetti, Linguine or Fettuccine)
  • 4 cloves Garlic (finely chopped)
  • 250 gr Cherry Tomatoes (cut into quarters)
  • 1 tsp Chilli flakes (or chilli powder)
  • 250 gr Raw Prawns (deveined, peeled tail on or off)
  • half tsp Salt (for the sauce and more to taste if needed)
  • 1 Bunch Parsley (finely chopped)
  • 5 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Cracked Pepper (to taste)

Instructions 

  • Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil
  • In a large fry-pan with a few tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat, gently fry the chopped garlic for 1 minute.
  • Add the cherry tomatoes, half a teaspoon of salt, some cracked pepper and the chilli flakes and cook for 8-10 minutes till the tomatoes have cooked down and the sauce thickened.
  • In the meantime, start cooking the Squid Ink Pasta in the boiling water till al dente as per packet directions
  • Add the prawns to the tomatoes in the pan and keep cooking till they change colour and are cooked through (3-4 minutes depending on the size).
  • Once the pasta is cooked, reserve some pasta water. Strain the squid ink pasta and combine it in the fry-pan with the tomatoes and prawns. Add a few large spoonful's of the reserved pasta water and the chopped parsley to the pan and stir it to combine with the pasta and sauce. Turn off the heat.
  • Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, cracked pepper and serve immediately.

Notes

Serving Size: 250 gr of pasta will give you 2 very generous serves of pasta or 3 normal serves.
 
Storage: Best eaten immediately but will last in the fridge for 1-2 days. Reheat gently in a pan with a splash or water or microwave.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: baked pasta, easy dinner, easy meal, pasta dish, seafood pasta, spaghetti, squid ink
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Pasta

Beetroot Pasta with Mascarpone & Pine Nuts

I had to try to make this Pasta after seeing so many versions online with the craze of the recent Barbie movie. The result was a gorgeous, bright pink beetroot pasta dish that is so creamy and luscious. It’s made in 20 minutes, with a simple sauce made in a blender with just a handful of ingredients, it’s as pretty as it gets and a delight to eat.

Ingredients to make this Beetroot Pasta

ingredients for this beetroot pasta
  • Fettuccine or Tagliolini Pasta: I like to use a fettuccine for this dish but any other pasta that you like will also work perfectly!
  • Mascarpone cheese: This recipe for this Beetroot Pasta uses about 3/4 of a standard 250 gr tub of Mascarpone.
  • Beetroot: for this recipe I used the pre-cooked vacuumed sealed beetroot that is already cooked and peeled with no added ingredients.
  • Pine nuts
  • Red onion and a garlic clove: to make the sofritto to start off the sauce
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Salt & pepper
  • Basil Leaves and Parmesan to serve

Some Facts about Mascarpone and Substitutes

This is a popular variety of cream cheese that is used in Italy in a variety of savoury and sweet dishes, the most popular would be in a classic Tiramisu dessert.

Mascarpone can be found in most supermarkets. If you can’t get a hold of Mascarpone, a similar alternative that you can substitute it in this recipe would be normal cream cheese.

mascarpone cheese

There are though, a couple of main differences between the two. First is the texture: Mascarpone has a creamier, more velvety texture. This is because the base of it is cream, rather than milk. It has in turn more fat too. Second the Taste: Mascarpone has a more mellow creamy taste – whether cream cheese has a slight tang to it.

The other option for a lighter version would be to substitute the Mascarpone for Fresh Ricotta Cheese. The consistency is although different from Mascarpone. It might require a bit more blending as the sauce might not result as smooth.

How to make this Beetroot Pasta

Make the soffritto

In a pan with 2 tbsp of olive oil over low to medium heat, very gently fry the chopped onion and garlic till softened for at least 5-6 minutes.

making the soffritto

Combine the pine nuts and beetroot

Add the pine nuts and continue cooking for an additional 2 minutes so that they can toast along with the onion and garlic.

Add the chopped beetroot with a generous pinch of salt and pepper and combine for an additional minute. Take off the heat and let cool slightly.

pinenuts are used for this beetroot pasta

Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to the boil and start cooking the fettuccine.

Blend the Pink Sauce

In a blender add the onion, garlic, pine nuts, beetroot and the mascarpone. Add a few tablespoons of olive oil for easier blending.

Blend in tall bowl with a stick blender or in a standing blender (I just used what I use to make my smoothies) till smooth, creamy and bright pink.

Combine & Serve

combining the pink sauce in the fettuccine

Once the pasta is cooked till perfect al-dente, combine it with the sauce. This is best done in the cooled pan (the sauce will split easily if the pan is hot) or large bowl and serve immediately.

Top with basil leaves, more pepper and a spoonful of mascarpone or shaved parmesan to your liking.

Servings and Storage Notes for this Beetroot Pasta

This recipe makes 2 very generous serves or 3 standard serves using 250 gr of pasta.

As the sauce has fresh mascarpone, it’s best eaten immediately as that is when the texture will be at it’s best.

It does not reheat well as I noticed the sauce splits due to the high fat content of the mascarpone cheese.

Want more?

Loved this Beetroot Pasta recipe? Check out my other pasta recipes Sausage & Ricotta Pasta Bake and Slow Cooker Beef Ragu with frilly Pappardelle.

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Pink Fettuccine with Mascarpone, Beetroot and Pine Nuts

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings 2 people
Fettuccine in a creamy and luscious beetroot sauce

Ingredients

  • 250 gr Fettuccine Pasta
  • 4 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 quarter Red Onion (Finely Chopped)
  • 1 clove Garlic (Finely Chopped)
  • 2 tbsp Pine Nuts
  • 150 gr Mascarpone (plus a few extra teaspoons to serve)
  • 150 gr Cooked Peeled Beetroot (roughly 2-3 medium-sized beetroots)
  • Salt
  • Ground Pepper
  • Grated Parmesan (to serve)

Instructions 

  • In a pan with 2 tbsp of olive oil, very gently fry the chopped onion and garlic till softened for 5-6 minutes.
  • Add the pine nuts and continue cooking for an additional 2 minutes
  • Add the chopped beetroot with a generous pinch of salt and pepper and combine for an additional minute. Take off the heat and let cool slightly. Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to the boil and start cooking the pasta.
  • In a blender add the onion, garlic, pine nuts, beetroot and the mascarpone. Add a few tablespoons of olive oil. Blend till creamy and bright pink.
  • Combine with the fettuccine and serve immediately. Top with basil leaves, more pepper and a spoonful of mascarpone or shaved parmesan to your liking.

Notes

Servings and Storage Notes for this Beetroot Pasta:
  • This recipe makes 2 very generous serves or 3 standard serves using 250 gr of pasta.
  • As the sauce has fresh mascarpone, it’s best eaten immediately as that is when the texture will be at it’s best.
  • It does not reheat well as I noticed the sauce splits due to the high fat content of the mascarpone cheese.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: beetroot pasta, easy dinner, easy recipe, pasta, pasta dish
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Recipes

Sausage and Ricotta Baked Pasta

eggplant and ricotta baked pasta

A tasty and complete meal, this Sausage and Ricotta Baked Pasta is everything I love on busy weeknights and is the perfect make ahead dinner. Made with a tomato based sauce, lots of melted mozzarella & dotted with fresh ricotta, this will be your new favourite pasta bake.

eggplant and ricotta baked pasta

Ingredients for this Sausage and Ricotta Baked Pasta

  • Pasta: My go-to for this recipe is Rigatoni! I really love using this pasta shape as it holds onto the sauce and the cheese well when baked. My favourite brands that I use all the time are Molisana and Barilla. Penne, Paccheri or Ziti will also work well as pasta types for this one. Make sure that when cooking the pasta you cook it till al dente only, just with a slight bite to it. It’s super important! The pasta will have some further cooking in the oven with the sauce so no overcooking is a must.
  • Eggplant & Baby Spinach: I love adding some vegetables to baked pasta dishes to add some lightness to it. You can add any other vegetables you like, peppers and zucchini would go great in this too.
  • Pork Sausages: The best you can find at your local butcher or supermarket! I like using pork and fennel or italian style sausages with lots of pepper and sometimes chilli. Chicken or beef sausages or even chorizo are great substitutes too. I don’t usually take the casings off before slicing and cooking but if you prefer you can.
  • Onion & Garlic: the base of the red sauce when making the soffritto
  • Passata & Tomato Paste: my absolutely favourite brand is MUTTI! Passata will make a thicker sauce vs using tinned tomatoes, which you would generally need to cook for a bit longer.
  • Worcestershire Sauce: an essential ingredient in most of the sauces I make. It adds a tang and savoury flavour to the sauces. When cooked through for a little while it adds another layer or dept to any red or meat sauce.
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Salt & Pepper: Season season season! for the veggies & the sauce.
  • Shredded Mozzarella: Lots of it for layering through the pasta and at the top to become deliciously melty!
  • Fresh Ricotta: If I can get some fresh one from the deli, that would be my go to! But a small tub of normal or smooth ricotta works perfectly well too. It adds a beautiful creaminess to the dish and bakes like a dream!
  • Fresh basil, to garnish
eggplant and ricotta baked pasta ingredients

How to make Sausage and Ricotta Baked Pasta

Cooking the eggplant, sausages & spinach

First step is to cook the eggplant, sausages & spinach. With a few generous tablespoons of olive oil, season and cook down the eggplant till it softens and gets a bit of a char. Add the sliced sausages and also cook them down. Lastly, add and wilt the spinach in the same pan with the eggplant and sausages.

All the flavours will have a chance to mingle and the fat from the sausages will add more taste to the vegetables. Put then all these aside in a bowl. You can use the same pan for the next step, so no need to wash unless there are any burned bits and you can move onto the sauce.

Tip: To save time – you can also use a separate non-stick pan and cook off the sausages, eggplant & spinach at the same time as you make the sauce in another pot.

Tomato Sugo or Sauce

Next step the sauce. To me an absolute must in making a tasty red sauce for any pasta is TIME! Unless you are using very fresh and sweet, fully ripened tomatoes where you can make a quick fresh sauce in a short amount of time, anytime I use tinned tomatoes, passata or tomato paste, these NEED to be cooked off first. This is to take off the raw / sour taste off the tomatoes and give it a much more mellow, complex flavour.

eggplant and ricotta baked pasta before the sauce is mixed is

First we start off with making the soffritto, which is very gently frying off onion and garlic for 5-10 minutes. Then we add the passata, water (to rinse out the passata jar), tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce and salt. I then simmer the tomato sauce for at least 15-20 minutes. Once the sauce is cooked, add the sausages, eggplant and spinach back in. In the meantime you can also have the rigatoni boiling away in a large pot of generously salted boiling water.

Mix together, Layer and Top with lots of cheese!

assembling of the eggplant and ricotta baked pasta

Once the pasta is cooked just till al dente and strained, put it back in the large pot with some olive oil. Add half of the sauce to it and mix through gently and let everything cool down slightly. This is so the mozzarella doesn’t melt completely as soon as you top your pasta.

Get a large baking dish and layer a third of the pasta and dot with some of the fresh ricotta, a large handful of shredded mozzarella and a bit more of the sauce. Repeat two more times ensuring the top layer has quite a bit of mozzarella. Layering it like a lasagna will ensure the pasta bake won’t be dry (it will be saucy, just the way I like pasta!) and will have some melty goodness the whole way through, not just at the top!

If your preference is to have less sauce on the pasta bake – you can also just freeze some of the sauce and save it for another day!

topping the cheese on the baked pasta

Bake & Enjoy!

Once all the layers and toppings are done, add a slug of olive oil and bake uncovered in a preheated oven at 200 C (180 C for Fan Forced oven) / 390 F for 20-25 minutes, till the top just starts to brown. Once it’s cooked, let everything rest out of the oven for 5 minutes before serving. This is so the pasta can hold the sauce and cheese a bit better when serving.

Planning to make it ahead of time? Some handy tips when making this Sausage and Ricotta Baked Pasta

This Sausage and Ricotta Baked Pasta dish is a perfect make ahead meal. Everything aside from the baking can be made ahead! So all you have to do is pop in the oven when you are ready to eat!

  • Tip 1: If the pasta bake has been in the fridge before baking – it will need longer baking time. Bake covered for 20 minutes at 180 C / 350 F to warm the centre and for another 20 minutes uncovered to brown at 180 C / 350 F.
  • Tip 2: If you want to freeze the pasta bake, cook the sauce, eggplant, spinach and eggplant and pasta and let the ingredients cool down before mixing them together. Arrange in a freezer safe dish and top with all the cheeses and tightly wrap it with cling film and / or lid. It will keep for up to 3 months! Once you are ready to eat it, defrost overnight in the fridge completely and bake as per above.

Hope you enjoy this one that is a favourite in my house!

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Sausage and Ricotta Baked Pasta

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 8 people

Ingredients

Baked Rigatoni

  • 500 gr Rigatoni Pasta
  • 4 tbsp Olive Oil (extra virgin)
  • 1 Eggplant (chopped in 2 cm pieces)
  • 2 – 3 Pork Sausages (chopped)
  • 100 gr Fresh Baby Spinach leaves
  • 250 gr Grated Mozzarella Cheese
  • 375 gr Fresh Ricotta
  • 1 handful Fresh Basil leaves (for garnish)

Tomato Based Sauce

  • 4 tbsp Olive Oil (extra virgin)
  • 3 Garlic Cloves (finely chopped)
  • 1 Onion (finely chopped)
  • 1 tbsp Tomato Paste
  • 700 ml Tomato Passata
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1 tbsp Worchestershire Sauce
  • Ground Pepper (to taste)

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 200 C (180 C for Fan Forced) / 390 F.
  • Chop the eggplant and slice the sausages. Heat in a large pan a few generous tablespoons of olive oil, season the eggplant with some salt and cook it till it softens and gets a bit of a char for about 10 minutes.
  • Add the sliced sausages, cook them down for a few minutes and lastly, add and wilt the spinach for a minute in the same pan with the eggplant and sausages. Take off the heat and set aside in a bowl.
  • Using the same pan (clean off any burned bits), add a few tablespoons of olive oil over low-medium heat. Very gently fry off the onion and garlic for 5-10 minutes mixing constantly.
  • Add the passata, water (to rinse out the passata jar), tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce and salt. Simmer the tomato sauce for at least 15-20 minutes. In the meantime cook the rigatoni till al dente in a large pot of salted boiling water.
  • Once the red sauce is cooked, turn off the heat and add the sausages, eggplant and spinach back in the pan with the sauce, mix through and let cool slightly.
  • Strain the pasta and put in back in the large pot with a few tablespoons of olive oil. Add half of the sauce in with the pasta and mix through.
  • Get a large baking dish and layer a third of the pasta and dot with some tablespoons of the fresh ricotta, a large handful of shredded mozzarella and a bit more of the sauce. Repeat two more times ensuring the top layer has quite a bit of mozzarella.
  • Once all the layers and toppings are done, add a slug of olive oil and bake uncovered in a preheated oven at 200 C / 390 F for 20-25 minutes, till the top just starts to brown. Once it's cooked, take it out of the oven and let everything rest for 5 or so minutes before serving. Add some fresh basil leaves for garnish if desired and serve.

Notes

Baking: appliances vary so the timings of baking the pasta might be slightly vary.
Storage: If fully cooked and baked, the baked rigatoni will last in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 3 days
Make ahead: Everything aside from the baking can be made ahead, so you just have to pop in the oven when you are ready to eat!
Tip 1: If the pasta bake has been in the fridge before baking – it will need longer baking time. Bake covered for 20 minutes at 180 C / 350 F to warm the centre and for another 20 minutes at 180 C / 350 F uncovered to brown.
Tip 2: If you want to freeze the pasta bake, cook the sauce, eggplant, spinach and eggplant and pasta and let the ingredients cool down before mixing them together. Arrange in a freezer safe dish and top with all the cheeses and tightly wrap it with cling film and / or lid. It will keep for up to 3 months! Once you are ready to eat it, defrost overnight in the fridge completely and bake as per above.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: baked pasta, baked rigatoni, easy dinner, family favourite meal, make ahead meal, midweek meal, pasta, Pasta bake, pasta dish
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