Don't Forgetti my Squid Spaghetti

And good things I've cooked and eaten this month

As Pasta Month comes to a close, I hope you’ve found one to love and make again. This week’s recipe is one I often make in summer months. I love it because it’s easy and quick, and because there’s squid in it it feels like you’re on holiday when you eat it. Further down, I’m sharing Eating Notes from the past fortnight.

Squid Spaghetti is a dish my Dad used to cook when I was a kid, and featured in the little (sadly now lost) book of handwritten recipes I took with me to Sheffield University aged 18. I love it because it’s easy, has intensity from anchovies (and optional sun-dried tomatoes), and comes together in 20 minutes. I also love it because cooking with squid is a sure-fire way to make you feel like it’s a special occasion even if it’s actually just Tuesday night.

The sauce is rich from the aforementioned anchovies and a healthy amount of chilli flakes; balanced with white wine and a little lemon juice to taste; and has plenty of texture from the squid and parsley. It’s true that the success of this dish will depend on the standard of squid used – here I went for frozen baby squid because they were the ones my fishmonger had which had tentacles, and I feel tentacles to be important when cooking with squid. I hope you might be a tentacles kinda guy too. A way to enjoy this meal might be outside with a cold drink, as you brush the sweat from your brow and watch a couple of pigeons kissing in the trees… as Charles and I did the other day. It’s almost enough to make you forget Rachel Reeves is an ardent representative of the ruling class who isn’t going to even try to save us. Almost!!!!!