This Spaghetti Nero with Garlic Shrimp tastes like it comes straight from a fine dining restaurant.
The wonderful squid ink pasta is coated in a delicious garlic butter sauce and topped with juicy seared shrimp. Such an elegant and easy dinner, perfect for date night or for entertaining.
You can use fresh arugula/rocket or spinach in the dish and the addition of red pepper flakes is totally optional!
If you said I could only eat one food for the rest of my life, I would pick pasta. If you made me pick one pasta dish, then I think this Spaghetti Nero with Shrimp might be it.
Seriously I love everything about this!! But please don't make me pick one food!!! I would miss potatoes and steak and rice and curry and oysters and brie and every other type of pasta.....Oh man, don't make me pick!
Why is Spaghetti Nero and Shrimp so good?
Garlic, butter and shrimp are a match made in heaven - they just sing together. Add in a little oregano, a pinch of chilli and you have the most amazing shrimp dish. But when you add squid ink pasta into the dish well you have a dish made in heaven.
What does Squid Ink Pasta taste like?
Squid ink pasta has a subtle flavour of the sea, think a slight salty briny taste. Not strong, or overpowering. Just a hint of the ocean.
The ink also changes the texture of the pasta, making it smoother and silkier even when cooked to al-dente.
Don't be put off by the color or the thought of the ink. The squid ink pasta is a great dramatic addition to the pasta shelf!
How to cook garlic shrimp
The key to garlic shrimp is the way the garlic is prepared. Minced garlic can burn easily, so if you slice the garlic rather than mincing it, it doesn't burn as easily.
We start by getting the frying pan or skillet really hot, this will allow the shrimp to sear quickly and get a nice color on them.
To do this place the skillet over a medium high heat and allow it to get hot. Once hot add the olive oil and cook the shrimp for 1 minutes on each side. Once cooked, add in the butter and garlic. It will melt and sizzle straight away.
Immediately add ¼ cup of the pasta cooking water, this cools the butter and further prevents the garlic from burning. Plus it helps to make a great easy sauce.
Why use pasta cooking water in a sauce?
The pasta cooking water contains starch from the pasta, so when you add it to sauces it helps to thicken then. This means you can use less cream or butter. Plus the water helps the sauce stick to the pasta so each piece is luxuriously coated in sauce, rather than having the pasta just sat in a pool of sauce.
Regular readers are probably sick of me mentioning this 😉
For more Great Pasta Recipes try:
- Garlic Butter Pasta with Garlic Chicken
- Shrimp Chorizo Pasta
- Pasta with Chicken Broth and Butter
- Creamy Chicken and Bacon Pasta
- Roasted Cauliflower Pasta with Creamy Garlic Sauce
- Pasta with Roasted Fennel
- Creamy Pepper Steak Pasta
- Black Truffle Pasta
- See ALL 40+ Pasta Recipes
Enjoy x
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Spaghetti Nero with Garlic Shrimp
Ingredients
- 8 oz squid ink pasta
- 4 cloves garlic
- 9 oz peeled and de-veined shrimp
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ⅓ cup butter - cut into cubes
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon chilli flakes - optional
- 1 cup arugula/baby spinach
- parmesan - optional
Instructions
- Peel the garlic and slice it paper thin (see note1) and set it to one side for later.
- Place a large pan of water onto boil. Once it is bubbling add a generous amount of salt and cook the squid ink pasta according to the package instructions. (Reserve a cup of the pasta water before draining)
- Place a large frying pan over medium high heat and once hot add the olive oil and the shrimp. Cook for 1 minutes on each side.
- Add in the butter cubes, garlic, oregano and chilli flakes. The butter should melt instantly. Pour in ¼ cup of the pasta cooking water and allow the sauce to bubble gently for a further 2 minutes. Season the sauce generously with salt and pepper.
- Add in the arugula/spinach.
- Drain the pasta mix into the butter sauce, stir to combine, adding more cooking water to loosen the pasta if needed.
- Serve immediately, garnished with parmesan, if desired.
Notes
- Slicing the garlic rather than mincing it, means it won't burn in the butter whilst the shrimp cook.
Neil Sutherland says
This doesn't just sound and look good; it is absolutely wonderful and never fails to impress both family and guests.
So that the prawns don't get lost in the pasta, at the last minute I remove them from the pan and keep them warm.
I then add the pasta to the pasta to swirl around with everything else, serve it on a plate and then place the prawns on top so everyone gets an equal share.
Absolutely delicious, and by the way I'm making it again tonight!
PS I buy the pasta online from Sous Chef
Claire McEwen says
Thank you so much Neil, I am so pleased you enjoy it.
Great tip with the prawns 😀
There can definitely be fights in my house if some of them gets more than their brother 😉
Nina Benjamin says
This looks so good Claire, the spaghetti looks amazing. Perfect with a splash of sauvignon 😉 xx
Claire McEwen says
Now that sounds perfect 🙂
And thank you xx
Dorothy Dunton says
Hi Claire! This sounds delicious! I have seen squid ink pasta dishes on the internet and cooking shows, but have never seen it in a store. I'm lucky if I can find spinach pasta! Is rocket like arugula or spinach? Like you, I love all kinds of food but pasta is always such a comforting dish! I could never be a vegetarian, not that I don't love vegs but giving up meat is just something I could not do!
Claire McEwen says
It is pretty hard to find where I live too. I have to stock up when I go up to the city.
Yes rocket is the same as arugula. Must remember to add the American words to my recipe. I am getting better at remembering the weight conversions (although sometimes I still forget!)
I agree, I could never give up meat, a nice juicy steak! Or a perfectly roasted chicken. YUM!!!
My sister was a vegetarian for a few years, but the smell of bacon sandwiches was too much for her!!!! She has been a dedicated meat eater again for over 10 years!