Inspiration

My husband inspired me to start this blog after a successful experiment with squid ink pasta (previously an "ewww" food for me). This is new territory - the blogging, that is - and he'll have to add technical support and proof-reader to his responsibilities as sous-chef, taster, and fan-in-chief.

On this lazy and hot Saturday afternoon we decided to browse the new Whole Foods in our neighboorhood. This is actually overwhelming rather than relaxing, but at least it's airconditioned! We stopped at the fresh pasta bar where you choose your pasta and they bring out sheets and sheets of it and cut it according to order. The guy manning the machine was evidently having a disageement with a particularly stubborn batch - he kept trying to cut capellini and they kept breaking. I felt sorry for him so I asked what the purple sheet was, thinking eggplant. Well, it was squid ink. My husband loves squid ink and the rest is history. We got three quarters of a pound, cut as tagliatelle. I shall not be intimidated!

Absent any creative suggestions from the person behind the counter, my husband pulled out his Iphone and found a recipe on someone's blog. Have I mentioned that I'm the chef, he's the CIO? This recipe called for a handful of ingredients and the only exotic one was saffron, which I've never used before. We had slight sticker shock since it ended up costing as much as the rest of the ingredients together, but the flavor and color it adds to the dish are totally worth it!

Beautiful fresh squid ink pasta

With ingredients and recipe in hand we were only missing the wine. I had absolutely no idea what to serve, so on the way home we stopped at a small, ecclectic wine store. Lucky for me the lovely French owner knew exactly what we needed: "a very big white or a very small red" against the salty-sweet, slightly oily flavor of the squid ink. She sent us off with a wonderful Vermentino and cooking tips.

For example, squid ink pasta needs to be well done, not al dente, to fully develop its flavor and texture. Who knew?

We came home with a small bag of treasures and I set to work right away. The result: a definite do-again. And the best part - 10 minutes tops and no exact measurements required.

Ingredients:

• Fresh squid ink pasta - fettucine or thinner
• Onion, chopped
• Garlic, chopped
• Olive oil
• One or two zucchini or yellow squash, chopped into dice
• A handful of parsley, chopped
• Saffron threads, dissolved in hot water (use an old mug - it STAINS !)
• Salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes
• White wine

Heat two or so tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Add the onions and garlic, cook until they start browning. Add zucchini, cook until slightly soft. Add half a cup or so of white wine, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste. Turn heat to low. Add parsley and saffron with its liquid and any remaining threads that have not dissolved. Stir gently and turn off heat.

Boil pasta in salted water until well done - around four minutes. Strain and do not rinse.

Dramatic black and bright yellow contrast

Serve pasta in warmed bowls. Drizzle with olive oil. Spoon vegetables over pasta. Take a bite of pasta and have a sip of wine: the flavors are wonderful together. Enjoy!