Sicily
Spaghetti al Nero di Seppia
Spaghetti al Nero di Seppia, 4 ways
A pasta dyed black with squid ink, born of a fisherman's habit of using every part of the squid. The key divides are whether the ink is taken directly from the squid or bought as a commercial paste, and how far the tomato is pushed before it overwhelms the flavor of the ink.
Official videos by Tomomi Ogura
A representative video and official arrangements with different ingredients or pasta. Check the original videos for the method.
Italian chef teaches you how to make "Squid Ink and Bell Pepper Spaghetti" [Italian Professional
Watch the official video on YouTube ↗An Italian chef teaches "Squid Ink and Urui Spaghetti" [Italian Professional Training Course vol.
Watch the official video on YouTube ↗"Squid Ink and Myoga Spaghetti" from a Michelin-starred Italian Restaurant [Italian Professional
Watch the official video on YouTube ↗Choose from the cooks’ recipes
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Yoshimi HidakaOwner-chef of Ristorante ACQUA PAZZA in Minami-Aoyama Partly unverified
Breaks down five kinds of squid for their ink, tomato stays strictly a supporting player
- Actually breaks down five kinds of squid — spear squid, cuttlefish, golden cuttlefish, Japanese flying squid, and shiroika — comparing how the ink is extracted from each
- Mashes the squid's viscera in along with the ink while sautéing, for extra richness
References: [1]
RyujiRecipe developer Partly unverified
Anchovy paste cooked down hard for depth, noodles kept firm to grip the sauce
- Uses one whole squid to make two dishes — fried calamari and squid-ink pasta — a nose-to-tail, no-waste build
- States plainly that cooking anchovy paste down hard "kills the fishy smell and boosts the umami"
- Explicitly articulates why the pasta is cooked firm: "it hits just the right texture once it's tossed with the sauce"
- Reserves a small amount of squid viscera as an optional add-in for extra depth
References: [1]
FabioItalian cook (freelance chef; YouTube channel) Partly unverified
A generous finish of spearmint for a refreshing, cool-edged plate
- Chops spearmint and stirs a generous amount through at the end — an unusual herb choice for an Italian dish
- A specific recovery step for when the squid-ink sauce splits: loosen it with mineral water and heat to restore the sheen
- Cooks shallot (or onion) slowly with garlic and chili over low heat to build a base aroma
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In the chef’s words
- If the sauce splits, add mineral water to loosen it and heat to bring back the sheen source
Tomomi OguraOwner-chef of Regalo in Sangubashi Partly unverified
No squid meat at all — uruii's seasonal note and a light hand with tomato protect the ink's flavor
- Uses no squid meat at all — finished with just squid-ink paste and uruii (a wild mountain vegetable) for a seasonal touch
- States plainly: "Too much tomato sauce would blur out the flavor and aroma of the squid ink, so the amount is kept light"
- Notes that whisking the sauce blends it more smoothly and helps it cling to the pasta
- Offers substitutes if uruii isn't available — ramps (gyoja-ninniku) or endive
References: [1]
Compared on 10 axes
Figures are transcribed as written in each video or recipe page
| AXIS | Yoshimi Hidaka | Ryuji | Fabio | Tomomi Ogura |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noodles, quantity, cooking | 160g spaghettini (serves 2) | 200g of 1.4mm pasta (serves 2), pulled 1 minute short of package time for al dente | 70g spaghettini (serves 1) | 65-70g pasta |
| Salt in the pasta water | Not specified | 1% of the water | 1.5% to 2L of water | 1.5% concentration |
| Preparing the squid, which parts are used | Cuttlefish, spear squid, golden cuttlefish, Japanese flying squid, and shiroika, broken down individually; viscera and ink both used | A separate 140g of squid, finely cut for the pasta. A little viscera reserved for extra depth (optional) | 45g Japanese flying squid (rings and tentacles, lightly salted) | None used — the dish is built on squid-ink paste alone, with no squid meat |
| Sourcing the squid ink | Ink extracted directly from all five squid varieties (the video's own description frames it as a taste comparison between two — spear squid and cuttlefish) | 2 tsp squid-ink paste loosened with 1 to 1.5 tbsp wine | 2 packets of squid ink sacs (squid-ink paste also acceptable) | 5g squid-ink paste |
| Aromatic base (garlic, onion, etc.) | Garlic and onion sautéed in olive oil | 20g garlic and 2 tsp anchovy paste cooked down hard, then 60g onion | Garlic, chili, and 15g shallot cooked slowly over low heat | 1 clove garlic and 1 piece anchovy heated in olive oil with chili oil |
| How the tomato is used | 100g strained canned tomato | Half a can of tomato (200g) reduced with 2 bay leaves | 40g tomato puree | 50g tomato sauce (kept light so it doesn't get in the way of the squid ink's flavor) |
| How the white wine is used | 50cc white wine to deglaze | 1 to 1.5 tbsp used to loosen the squid ink | A little white wine, reduced over high heat | Not used |
| Loosening/thickening the sauce | Not specified (no mention of adding pasta water or plain water) | A splash of pasta water added and tossed in | If the sauce splits, mineral water is added to loosen it and bring back the sheen | Whisked to bring it together |
| Finish | Finishing olive oil and Italian parsley | Extra black pepper plus 1.5 tbsp finishing olive oil | A generous half-pack of spearmint stirred through | 1 stalk of uruii sliced diagonally into thin strips added in, finished with a drizzle of olive oil |
| Time required | Not stated in the video (the process runs about 14 minutes) | Not stated in the video (part of a two-dish build alongside fried calamari) | Not stated (the process runs about 9 minutes 40 seconds) | 15 minutes (as stated for the video) |
| Source check | Partly unverified | Partly unverified | Partly unverified | Partly unverified |
Yoshimi Hidaka Breaks down five kinds of squid for their ink, tomato stays strictly a supporting player
- Noodles, quantity, cooking
- 160g spaghettini (serves 2)
- Salt in the pasta water
- Not specified
- Preparing the squid, which parts are used
- Cuttlefish, spear squid, golden cuttlefish, Japanese flying squid, and shiroika, broken down individually; viscera and ink both used
- Sourcing the squid ink
- Ink extracted directly from all five squid varieties (the video's own description frames it as a taste comparison between two — spear squid and cuttlefish)
- Aromatic base (garlic, onion, etc.)
- Garlic and onion sautéed in olive oil
- How the tomato is used
- 100g strained canned tomato
- How the white wine is used
- 50cc white wine to deglaze
- Loosening/thickening the sauce
- Not specified (no mention of adding pasta water or plain water)
- Finish
- Finishing olive oil and Italian parsley
- Time required
- Not stated in the video (the process runs about 14 minutes)
- Source
- Partly unverified
Ryuji Anchovy paste cooked down hard for depth, noodles kept firm to grip the sauce
- Noodles, quantity, cooking
- 200g of 1.4mm pasta (serves 2), pulled 1 minute short of package time for al dente
- Salt in the pasta water
- 1% of the water
- Preparing the squid, which parts are used
- A separate 140g of squid, finely cut for the pasta. A little viscera reserved for extra depth (optional)
- Sourcing the squid ink
- 2 tsp squid-ink paste loosened with 1 to 1.5 tbsp wine
- Aromatic base (garlic, onion, etc.)
- 20g garlic and 2 tsp anchovy paste cooked down hard, then 60g onion
- How the tomato is used
- Half a can of tomato (200g) reduced with 2 bay leaves
- How the white wine is used
- 1 to 1.5 tbsp used to loosen the squid ink
- Loosening/thickening the sauce
- A splash of pasta water added and tossed in
- Finish
- Extra black pepper plus 1.5 tbsp finishing olive oil
- Time required
- Not stated in the video (part of a two-dish build alongside fried calamari)
- Source
- Partly unverified
Fabio A generous finish of spearmint for a refreshing, cool-edged plate
- Noodles, quantity, cooking
- 70g spaghettini (serves 1)
- Salt in the pasta water
- 1.5% to 2L of water
- Preparing the squid, which parts are used
- 45g Japanese flying squid (rings and tentacles, lightly salted)
- Sourcing the squid ink
- 2 packets of squid ink sacs (squid-ink paste also acceptable)
- Aromatic base (garlic, onion, etc.)
- Garlic, chili, and 15g shallot cooked slowly over low heat
- How the tomato is used
- 40g tomato puree
- How the white wine is used
- A little white wine, reduced over high heat
- Loosening/thickening the sauce
- If the sauce splits, mineral water is added to loosen it and bring back the sheen
- Finish
- A generous half-pack of spearmint stirred through
- Time required
- Not stated (the process runs about 9 minutes 40 seconds)
- Source
- Partly unverified
Tomomi Ogura No squid meat at all — uruii's seasonal note and a light hand with tomato protect the ink's flavor
- Noodles, quantity, cooking
- 65-70g pasta
- Salt in the pasta water
- 1.5% concentration
- Preparing the squid, which parts are used
- None used — the dish is built on squid-ink paste alone, with no squid meat
- Sourcing the squid ink
- 5g squid-ink paste
- Aromatic base (garlic, onion, etc.)
- 1 clove garlic and 1 piece anchovy heated in olive oil with chili oil
- How the tomato is used
- 50g tomato sauce (kept light so it doesn't get in the way of the squid ink's flavor)
- How the white wine is used
- Not used
- Loosening/thickening the sauce
- Whisked to bring it together
- Finish
- 1 stalk of uruii sliced diagonally into thin strips added in, finished with a drizzle of olive oil
- Time required
- 15 minutes (as stated for the video)
- Source
- Partly unverified
Remix the steps (optional)
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1 
Pasta & boiling Brand, thickness, salt, water volume, cooking time
Pasta & boiling Brand, thickness, salt, water volume, cooking time 2 Base Fat and the main ingredient: rendering, infusing
3 
Sauce & emulsion Where you toss, heat level, how much pasta water
Sauce & emulsion Where you toss, heat level, how much pasta water 4 
Finish Cheese, pepper, finishing oil, plating
Finish Cheese, pepper, finishing oil, plating The map of schools: where the heat is managed
For Spaghetti al Nero di Seppia, the fork in the road is how you emulsify and heat
Toss over direct heat
The pan stays on the flame and your hands manage the temperature. Fast, but it takes feel.
- No styles here
Indirect heat
Bain-marie, steam, double boiler or a hand blender. Repeatable, at the cost of one extra step.
- No styles here
Off the heat
Emulsify after killing the flame, or in a bowl with only the pasta’s residual heat. Hard to get wrong.
What to serve after this
In an Italian meal the primo (pasta) is followed by a secondo (main course)
Baccalà alla vicentina
Baccalà alla vicentina
Dried Norwegian cod (stoccafisso) is soaked for days to rehydrate, then simmered for hours over low heat with onion, salted sardines, olive oil, milk, and Parmigiano until it turns creamy. Despite the name "baccalà", the fish used is actually stoccafisso (air-dried, not salt-cured), and the key technique is "pipare" — cooking it without stirring, only shaking the pot.
Pairs with: Bigoli in salsa / Spaghetti al Nero di Seppia / Pasta al Limone
Another Veneto seafood pasta. The squid-ink sauce is light and brothy, so it doesn't tip the balance even before the dense, milk-and-oil-enriched baccalà that follows.
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