I recently made squid ink pasta with garlic and tomatoes and now I am obsessed! Those silky black noodles are oh-so-dramatic looking and taste like the sea. Not to mention, it was beautiful to shoot. Grab the recipe below along with some photo shoot tips from my shoot.
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Photography Tips for Squid Ink Pasta
Use A Diffusor
One challenge people run into with their food images is harsh light or unwanted hot spots. To prevent the light from overpowering the details of your food, I recommend using a large diffusor to soften the light. If I didn’t use a diffusor, the dark noodles would have had a few hot spots and would have been pretty distracting. Diffusors help create a nice soft, balanced light on your subject.
Use Dark Props
I really wanted to create a dark and moody look to emphasize the darkness of the beautiful noodles. A lot of food photography is bright and fresh and it’s definitely a beautiful style. But, it’s amazing how dramatic and sexy food can be with a darker style.
To achieve this look, I used a dark board and dark matte plates. Try using a darker surface and darker plates in your next shoot and watch your dark & moody style come to life.
READ MORE ABOUT: DARK & MOODY FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS
Recipe Notes for Squid Ink Pasta
This recipe is super easy to make and absolutely delicious. I want to try and make this from scratch next time, but for this first attempt, I used a special squid ink pasta. I have a few tips that you may find helpful listed below.
- No salt needed. The squid ink pasta is naturally salty on its own.
- I used Framore Spaghetti for this shoot and recipe.
- If making your own pasta, you’ll need Cuttlefish Ink.
- For the presentation, consider serving on matte black stoneware plates.
Happy Cooking!
Squid Ink Pasta with Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 4 large garlic cloves, minced
- 3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/3 cup dry white wine
- 12 ounces squid ink pasta
- Cherry tomatoes, halved
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat.
- Add garlic and red pepper flakes, stirring occasionally, until garlic is softened, about 1 minute.
- Add wine, bring to a boil, and cook until reduced by half, about 4 minutes.
- Add tomatoes and cook an additional 4-5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook squid ink pasta in a large pot of boiling water, stirring occasionally until al dente, about 4-5 minutes.
- Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta liquid, if needed.
- Add pasta back to the pot and pour the sauce and tomatoes over the top. Gently mix together.
- Add reserved pasta liquid a little at a time, if needed.
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All images ©Regan Baroni 2015.
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