The summer heat is in full swing down here, and I find myself craving lighter foods than I did in the fall and winter. The heat really takes it out of me. Light pasta and seafood dishes are up there on my list of warm-weather foods. I can’t get enough of them! That’s why I’m giving this Simple Squid Piccata recipe a try. It covers both categories and promises to be quick and easy to prepare. Just what I need right about now!
This dish is something ELSE, y’all. I know it might seem a smidge unapproachable, but a) you won’t rightly believe how little time it takes to pull together, and b) how inexpensive it is. And c) tentacles.
The Ingredients
I had a 10.6-ounce package of frozen squid in my freezer along with some homemade chicken stock. I had to buy everything else, but it was all easy to find at my regular grocery store. I even sprung for a wedge of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (about $10) instead of buying it already grated.
The Process
Things started off with frying the squid in butter for about 6 minutes. The recipe specifies a large skillet, so I used my 12-inch nonstick. Eventually, you will be adding the pasta to this pan, so it needs to be big enough for it plus room to stir.
The pan was the perfect size, but I wasn’t able to get the squid tubes to blister. Perhaps because of the nonstick coating? I was a little dismayed but I kept going, adding more butter and charring the lemon slices.
While all this was going on, I used a large Dutch oven to cook the pasta, reserving a cup of the water when it was done. I also used my mandoline to thinly slice the red onion and sliced the squid tubes into rings (I left the tentacles as they were).
After all that, finishing this dish is as simple as mixing things up. I added the drained linguine to the skillet along with the grated parmesan, sliced squid, and red onion. Then I mixed in the pasta water until a thin sauce formed and everything was well coated.
Shallow pasta bowls were the perfect way to serve this dish, along with a garnish of the charred lemon, chopped parsley, and more grated parmesan. This Simple Squid Piccata recipe didn’t have any times listed, but it was relatively quick to make. Here’s how my time was spent from start to finish:
- 12 minutes to prep
- 25 minutes to cook
- 37 minutes total
