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.
This post contains affiliate links. Read the affiliate disclosure.
Photography Tips for Squid Ink Pasta with Tomatoes
PHOTOGRAPHY GEAR
I shot this squid ink pasta with a Nikon D7100 and my 50mm 1.8 lens.
USE A DIFFUSOR
I used a large diffusor to soften the light on the dark noodles. Without the diffusor, parts of the dark noodles and tomatoes would have become too bright causing hot spots. Diffusors help create a nice soft, balanced light on your subject.
USE DARKER PROPS
I really wanted to do a dark and moody shoot to emphasize the darkness of the beautiful noodles. I used an old wood board as my surface and purchased some dark matte plates. I love how moody the images turned out and highly recommend experimenting with a dark and moody look. 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 when using darker props and surfaces.
—
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!
—
You Might Also Like: Homemade Pasta with Vitamix
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.
This post contains affiliate links which means if you click or make a purchase through my site, I might make a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only promote products that I actually use and support.
—
All images ©Regan Baroni 2015.
[…] Squid Ink Pasta With Garlic & Cherry Tomatoes […]