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a close up photo of a pan full of fideua negra with baby squid sitting on top

Fideua squid ink pasta with Tangy Allioli Verde

Squid ink pasta with baby squid is better known in Spain as ‘Fideua negra’ and can be found most prominently up and down the Mediterranean coast. Fideua Negra is a traditional fideua recipe from the Valencian region.
It’s very similar to Italian squid ink pasta in (spaghetti al nero di seppia) and is made with a pasta or noodle called fideua that is cooked in the black ink from the squid.
5 from 8 votes
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
resting time 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course fideua, lunch, Main Course, main meal, pasta, seafood
Cuisine fideua, Mediterranean, pasta, Seafood, spanish, squid, Valencia
Servings 6 people
Calories 349 kcal

Equipment

  • large 12 inch (30cm) frying pan with deep sides at least 3 inches (7.6cm)

Ingredients

For the fideua negra

  • 14 Oz. 400 grams baby squid (tubes or whole)
  • 0.5 Oz. 12 grams of black squid ink
  • 14 OZ. 400g packet of fideo No. 1 noodles
  • 27 fl. Oz. 800 ml of fish stock
  • 2 ripe plum tomatoes grated
  • Rind and juice of ½ lemon
  • 1 large onion diced fine
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • A handful of fresh parsley chopped fine
  • 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
  • A few threads of saffron
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper for seasoning

For the alioli verde:

  • 1 small garlic clove crushed
  • 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
  • 1 large egg room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Instructions
 

Step 1 - Prepare the baby squid

  • First, clean the baby squid in some fresh water.
    Note: If you’ve bought frozen or cleaned baby squid, you’ll only need to cut up the tubes to suit, then fry the squid till golden and move onto step 2.
    14 Oz. 400 grams baby squid (tubes or whole)
    Some baby squid sits on a slate after being cleaned in fresh water
  • Remove the head and tentacles and clean out the inner part of the tubes. Cut the tubes into ½ inch thick rings. Leave the heads whole and trim off any tentacles athat are too long.
    14 Oz. 400 grams baby squid (tubes or whole)
  • Give everything a rinse in some fresh water and then place the squid on some paper towel to remove the excess water.
    14 Oz. 400 grams baby squid (tubes or whole)
  • In a large frying pan on high heat, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the prepared baby squid and fry for 3-4 minutes.
    4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
    baby squid are being fried in a large frying pan
  • Around half way through cooking the squid, add the garlic. Once the squid has begun to become lightly golden, remove from the heat and set aside for use later.
    3 garlic cloves

Step 2 - Prepare the base sauce

  • In a large frying pan on medium heat, add the olive oil and onion and fry for around 5 minutes or until golden.
    1 large onion
    a frying pan with some fried onion
  • Next, Add most of the red bell pepper and fry for an additional minute or two (keep a few small slices for the garnish when you’re ready to serve).
    Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Reduce heat to medium, add the grated tomato and lemon rind and mix well. Season as required and cook for around 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
    2 ripe plum tomatoes, Rind and juice of ½ lemon
  • Add the black squid ink and stir though thoroughly. Allow to simmer for 2-3 minutes.
    0.5 Oz. 12 grams of black squid ink

Step 3 - Add the pasta and baby squid

  • Next add the fideo pasta and squid to the ingredients in the pan and mix well. Sprinkle in a few strands of saffron. Make sure that the fideo pasta is well covered in the black ink sauce.
    14 OZ. 400g packet of fideo No. 1 noodles, A few threads of saffron
    Asmall glass of fideo pasta sits on a rustic chopping board
  • Level out all ingredinets in the pan and increase heat to high.
  • Add the stock so it is around ¼ inch above the top of the ingredients. Once you see the stock start to bubble, reduce back down to medium and allow to simmer uncovered for 10-15 minutes. It’s important not to stir during this stage of the recipe.
    27 fl. Oz.
  • You’ll see the stock gradually evaporate, and once you see no more bubbles coming from the stock, remove from the heat and cover with foil for around 5-10 minutes.

Step 4 - To serve

  • You can serve the fideua straight from the pan. Simply garnish with chopped parsley and optionally a squeeze of some fresh lemon.
    A handful of fresh parsley, 1 small garlic clove, 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt, 1 large egg, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
    a large pan of squid ink pasta sits on a dark countertop

Traditionally in the Valencian region, fideua negra is served with some fresh bread and some alloli verde (You’ll find the allioli recipe here).

    Notes

    Storage

    Fideua squid ink pasta contains seafood and should be consumed within 48 hours if left refrigerated. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 150gCalories: 349kcalCarbohydrates: 54.2gProtein: 11gFat: 10.8gSaturated Fat: 1.3gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 124mgPotassium: 127mgFiber: 3.7gSugar: 5.3gCalcium: 14mgIron: 2mg
    Keyword espanola, fideua, Ink, main course, paella, seafood, spain, spanish, Spanish cuisine, squid, Squid ink, valencia