Witches’ Hair Pasta

This Witches’ Hair Pasta turns jet-black squid ink spaghetti into the most dramatic Halloween dinner on the table. Glossy strands get tossed in a garlic and chilli oil that clings to every noodle, sharp and warm at the same time. It’s on the table in fifteen minutes flat.

Sprinkles and Sprouts builds the sauce around pasta water instead of butter or cream, which keeps the dish light and lets the squid ink flavour come through. That starchy water is what turns plain oil and garlic into a sauce that actually coats the strands instead of pooling at the bottom of the bowl. It’s a classic Italian trick applied to a very unclassic looking plate of pasta.

The garlic needs a slow four minutes over low heat, not a quick sizzle, or it turns bitter before the chilli even goes in. Rush it and the garlic browns too fast, leaving a sharp burnt edge that fights with the pasta instead of complementing it. Low and slow lets the garlic soften and sweeten, which is what makes the oil worth building a sauce around.

Witches’ Hair Pasta

Recipe by PaulaCourse: DinnerCuisine: Italian

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

5

minutes

Cooking time

10

minutes

Calories

587

kcal

The whole dish leans on one pantry trick: starchy pasta water standing in for cream. It means dinner comes together with five ingredients and no trip to a specialty store beyond the squid ink pasta itself.

Ingredients

• 6 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

• 1 tablespoon (17g) salt

• 1 lb (450g) dried squid ink spaghetti

• ⅓ cup (80ml) olive oil

• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Directions

• Chop the garlic finely and set it aside.
• Boil a large pan of water, add the salt, and cook the pasta according to the packet instructions.
• Heat the olive oil and chopped garlic together in a large pan while the pasta cooks.
• Cook over low heat for 4 minutes, stirring frequently so the garlic doesn’t catch.
• Add the red pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds more.
• Scoop out ½ cup of the pasta cooking water and stir it carefully into the garlic oil.
• Simmer this mixture gently until the pasta is ready to drain.
• Reserve another cup of pasta water before draining.
• Combine the drained pasta with the garlic mixture over high heat, stirring well.
• Loosen with more pasta water if needed, then serve immediately.