Squid with Black Ink Sauce is one of those dishes that never fails to impress. With its glossy black sauce it looks dramatic, tastes intensely flavourful and of the sea. But, despite its striking appearance, is surprisingly straightforward to prepare.
I recently prepared this dish for a friend’s first gathering. I sought a memorable, yet simple, dish that would feel generous and celebratory. It was the ideal choice.
Because I have included many photos and discussed the ingredients, the process may look complicated. But it isn’t.
Calamari and Cuttle Fish, the differences
Calamari (squid) have long, streamlined bodies, ten tentacles (eight arms and two longer feeding tentacles) and tender, mildly sweet flesh. They cook quickly and are popular grilled, fried, stuffed or slowly braised.
Cuttlefish (seppie) are close relatives of squid but have broader, flatter bodies and firmer, sweeter flesh. They contain larger ink sacs than squid, making them the preferred choice for classic dishes such as seppie al nero, where the ink creates a rich, glossy black sauce.
Cuttle fish is more difficult to purchase, and in fact mostly impossible in the Queen Victoria market so I have used Calamari in this Recipe.
Introduction and background to squid or cuttlefish cooked in black ink
Over the years I have cooked calamari al nero many times, changing the recipe to suit the occasion. Because I know this dish well from both Trieste and Sicily, my version sits comfortably between the two traditions. It combines the rich black sauce of the northern Adriatic with the brighter flavours of southern Italy.
Being winter in Melbourne, I served it with crisp baked polenta rather than pasta—a combination that always draws admiration before it is tasted. And of course polenta is northern Italian food.
A Dish Shared Across Italy
Squid or cuttlefish cooked in its own ink (calamari al nero or seppie al nero) is one of Italy’s most distinctive seafood dishes. It appears all along the Italian coastline, but each region prepares and serves it differently.
Veneto and Venice
Around Venice, seppie al nero is a classic. Cuttlefish are preferred because they have larger ink sacs. The cuttlefish is slowly braised with onion, garlic, white wine and just a little tomato until the ink produces a glossy, intensely flavoured sauce.
It is traditionally served with soft white polenta. . I used golden polenta and the contrast between the jet-black sauce and the golden polenta is as beautiful as it is delicious and perfectly balances the richness of the ink.
Trieste and Friuli Venezia Giulia
Across the northern Adriatic in Trieste and Friuli Venezia Giulia, the dish remains very much part of everyday cooking. In Italian it is called seppie in umido; in the Triestino dialect it becomes sepe in umido. It still appears regularly on the menus of traditional trattorie, especially in Trieste Vecchia, the city’s historic quarter.
Although Trieste has absorbed influences from Slovenia and the former Austro-Hungarian Empire, this dish remains unmistakably Adriatic.
Sicily
In Sicily the same dish takes on a different character. Squid is used more frequently than cuttlefish, and the sauce generally contains more tomato, fresh parsley, garlic or onion and white wine. The result is lighter, fresher and more aromatic, while the ink still provides its unmistakable depth of flavour.
Rather than polenta, Sicilians usually toss the sauce through spaghetti, sometimes serving the squid separately as a second course.
These regional differences reflect Italy’s extraordinary culinary diversity, but both result in a silky sauce with extraordinary depth and complexity.
Finding Squid Ink
Not everyone can buy squid or cuttlefish with the ink sacs intact. Most seafood is cleaned before sale and the ink is discarded.
Fortunately, nero di seppia (cuttlefish ink) is widely available from Italian delicatessens and specialist food stores. It is sold in small sachets, jars or tubes and is the same product used by many Italian cooks when fresh ink is unavailable, especially these days when the fish is mostly sold clean and cut. The ink has a long shelf life and delivers the same deep black colour and rich flavour.
If your fishmonger prepares whole squid or cuttlefish, ask whether they can save the ink sacs for you. They freeze well for several months. Simply thaw them, pierce the sac and stir the ink into the sauce towards the end of cooking.
Fresh ink has a slightly more delicate flavour, but good-quality packaged nero di seppia is an excellent substitute.
How to Clean Squid
- Pull the head and tentacles from the body.
- Remove the internal bone.
- Peel away the skin and remove the fins.
- Slit the body open.
- Remove the innards, reserving the ink sac if present.
- Remove the eyes and beak from the tentacles.
- Rinse thoroughly and pat dry before slicing.
For the polenta
Prepare your preferred polenta ahead of time so it can be baked just before serving. Information, instructions further down in this post.
THE RECIPE
Squid with Black Ink Sauce (Calamari al Nero)
Ingredients
Serves 6–8
For the BRAISED squid
- 2.5-3 kg small squid, cleaned and sliced
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 400 g tin of chopped or puréed tomatoes
- 1-2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 cup finely chopped parsley
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 4–6 sachets squid ink (4 g each), or about 3 tablespoons nero di seppia paste
- 1 cup fish stock or water
- Pinch chilli flakes (optional, especially if cooked in Southern Italy)
- Fresh chilli, finely sliced, to finish
- You can add peas – I used frozen, 2 cups. adds taste, nutrition and visual appeal.
Final addition – the fresh chilli
I also deseeded a couple of long red chillies, cut them into thin strips and put them on top of the black glossy contents.
Method
- Heat the olive oil in a large heavy pan and gently soften the garlic.
- Add the squid in batches so it sautés rather than steams. Cook for about 15 minutes.
- Pour in the wine, add the tomatoes.
- Add parsley (and cilli flakes if using). Cover and simmer gently for about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the squid ink and cook for another 20 minutes or until the squid is tender.
- Remove the squid from the main saucepan with a slotted spoon. Reduce the sauce until thick, glossy, black and intensely flavoured.
- Stir in the tomato paste if further thickening is needed.
- Return the squid to the pan.
- Add the frozen peas and cook gently for a final 10 minutes.
- Once cooked, add the strips of fresh chilli. on top.
ABOUT POLENTA and Baked Polenta
Types of Polenta:
Instant polenta is usually made from yellow cornmeal that has been pre-cooked and dried, so it cooks in 2–10 minutes instead of the traditional 30- 35 minutes. It produces a smooth, creamy consistency but generally lacks the depth of flavour and texture of traditionally cooked polenta. It is ideal for quick weeknight meals and can be served soft or left to set before grilling or frying.
Yellow polenta is the most common type in Italy and is made from yellow maize. When cooked slowly, it develops a rich corn flavour and can range from soft and creamy to firm enough to slice once cooled. It pairs well with hearty meat ragùs, sausages, mushrooms, game, braised dishes and robust cheeses. This is the type of polenta I stock at home.
White polenta is made from white corn and has a milder, more delicate flavour and a finer texture than yellow polenta. Traditionally associated with the Veneto and parts of Friuli Venezia Giulia, it is often served with seafood, salt cod (baccalà), cuttlefish in ink, or more delicate meat dishes. It is cooked in the same way as traditional yellow polenta but has a softer, silkier finish.
Cook the polenta according to the packet directions (traditional polenta generally takes about 30 minutes).
Pour into a well-oiled baking dish or heavy ovenproof pan. Smooth the surface, drizzle generously with extra virgin olive oil and bake in a moderate oven for about 30 minutes until lightly crisp on top.
Serve generous slices topped with the squid and plenty of black ink sauce.
Leftover polenta is excellent fried the following day in olive oil until it develops a crisp crosta—a golden crust that Italians treasure.
Golden baked polenta provides the perfect contrast to the silky black ink sauce.
Finished dish with peas and strips of fresh red chillies
SEPPIE IN UMIDO CON POLENTA (Cuttlefish or Squid With Black Ink And Polenta from Trieste)