“This squid-ink pasta can be enjoyed at any time of year,” says Geoff Martin, head chef of Melbourne’s Marameo. “If you can’t find Western Australian blue swimmer crab, spanner or mud crabs are great alternatives.”
Ingredients
Squid-ink spaghetti
Method
1.For spaghetti, whisk egg and squid ink in a bowl. Add flour and a pinch of salt to a separate bowl. Create a well in the centre of the flour, pour in egg mixture and 2 tsp water and mix with a fork to form a dough. Turn out onto a surface, and knead until smooth and elastic. Wrap dough and rest (1 hour). Divide dough into 4, then working with one piece at a time, and dusting with flour as necessary, feed through a pasta machine, starting at the widest setting, rolling and folding once or twice, then reducing notch by notch until pasta is 2mm thick, then use the spaghetti attachment (or use a chitarra tool) and cut into spaghetti. Dust with flour to prevent pasta sticking together, cover and refrigerate in small mounds on a tray until required.
2.Blanch tomatoes in a saucepan of boiling water until skins split (20-30 seconds), then refresh in iced water. Drain and when cool enough to handle, peel skin. Quarter tomatoes and remove centre and core, then dice remaining flesh. Refrigerate until required.
3.Cook spaghetti in a large saucepan of boiling salted water, stirring frequently, until cooked al dente (3-4 minutes).
4.Meanwhile, combine olive oil, garlic, chilli and crabmeat in a large deep frying pan over high heat and cook until crab is just cooked (1-2 minutes). Deglaze pan with wine, scraping base, then add fish stock and tomato.
5.Drain pasta (reserve pasta water), then add to sauce and simmer (1-2 minutes). Add parsley and basil. Season to taste, drizzle over oil to taste, and stir, adding pasta water as needed, until sauce emulsifies and thickens to coat the pasta. Top with roe and serve.
Note Tobiko roe and squid ink are available from select fishmongers.
Notes