Squid Ink Pasta Recipe with Shrimp and Cherry Tomato Sauce
Updated Jul 25, 2025, Published Feb 01, 2023
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Squid ink pasta recipe with shrimp and cherry tomato sauce is an elegant and rustic Italian pasta dish that combines squid ink pasta with the subtle briny flavors of shrimp, garlic, white wine, parsley, and cherry tomatoes. It’s the perfect special delicacy for a date night meal at home or dinner party!
If you love seafood pasta recipes, you’ll definitely want to try Seafood Pasta with Red Sauce (Linguini Frutti di Mare) and Spaghetti alle Vongole.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This alluring squid ink pasta with shrimp and cherry tomatoes (spaghetti al nero di seppia) is simple and irresistible!
In Sardegna, we often eat black squid ink pasta, since the island is famous for squid and other fresh seafood like Crispy Air Fryer Calamari, Octopus Salad with Potatoes, and Trottole Pasta with Tomato Sauce and Shrimp.
Sautéed shrimp add protein and texture, and the red sauce created by the cherry tomatoes add a pop of color to this beautiful dish. This recipe is inspired by summertime in my hometown of Cagliari, Sardegna. I hope you love this recipe as much as we do!
Made With Amore,
Ingredients for Squid Ink Pasta with Shrimp
This beautiful dish only takes a few fresh ingredients and pantry staples to come together! Grab these key ingredients and you’ll be ready to start cooking!
- Squid Ink Pasta: Either dried or fresh works well here. You can buy black squid ink pasta at Trader Joe’s, World Market, Caputo’s Market, local Italian specialty stores, or order it on Amazon. You can use squid ink spaghetti or squid ink linguini. If you can’t find it where you are, you can always substitute plain pasta or make homemade pasta dough and serve it with this delicious seafood pasta sauce.
- Fresh Shrimp: I recommend using deveined and cleaned shrimp that have been dried with paper towels.
- Cherry Tomatoes: Use fresh cherry tomatoes cut in half and add them to the dish. I makes the sauce taste bright and fresh, like in my burst tomato pasta sauce!
- White Wine: I recommend using Pinot Grigio. It makes a wonderful sauce and pairs beautifully with the seafood and squid ink pasta!
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- Want to change up the seafood? Use squid or calamari (like in my stuffed calamari in tomato sauce), scallops, or mussels. You can even try a combination of these, as they are the perfect match for the black squid ink pasta.
- Citrus Variation: Add lemon juice or lemon zest to add a fresh zing to this seafood pasta dish. If you enjoy lemon pasta dishes, you’ll also love this lemon ricotta pasta with capers!
- Don’t want to use fresh cherry tomatoes? Substitute with tomato sauce or chopped tomatoes.
How to Make Squid Ink Pasta with Shrimp
The process for making this squid ink pasta recipe is simple and takes little effort and time! Follow these step-by-step photos for the best results. Find the full steps and ingredients in the recipe card below.
- While the pasta cooks, make the sauce. In a large skillet, heat olive oil on medium-high heat until hot. Add the garlic. Cook, occasionally stirring, for 1-2 minutes or until lightly browned and fragrant.
- Add the cherry tomatoes, white wine, salt, and red pepper flakes.
- Cover with lid. Cook, occasionally stirring, for about 10 minutes, or until tomatoes are softened and blistered.
- Add the shrimp to the pan and cook at high heat for 5 minutes until they are tender and cooked. Drain pasta and reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water.
- Transfer the cooked pasta to the pan with the sauce, add the reserved pasta water, and toss to combine in the pan for about 1-2 minutes until the pasta is coated with the sauce and seafood. Transfer to a serving platter.
- Garnish with fresh parsley. Serve hot with ciabatta bread or no knead focaccia and enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
Squid ink, also available from cuttlefish ink (related to the squid family), is added to the water and pasta dough when the squid pasta is made. This creates black pasta with a wonderful umami flavor.
Aromatic squid ink is also used to color fresh egg pasta, giving it a deep black hue. Squid ink gives this pasta its unique and defining black coloring. This type of pasta is popular in the Mediterranean and Japanese cuisine.
Squid ink tastes and smells like the sea. The flavor of squid ink is close to the flavor of fresh sea fish with umami nuances with a subtle briny flavor. Squid ink pasta is mild in flavor, and pairs well with white wine sauce and seafood such as shrimp, scallops, and squid.
Can you cook frozen shrimp without thawing it? You can, but it is not recommended. The shrimp will turn out hard and overcooked. Thaw the shrimp for 15 minutes in a bowl of cold water before cooking.
Leftovers are best kept in the fridge in an airtight container and eaten within 2 days.
When you’re ready to enjoy it again, reheat slowly in a skillet over medium heat, adding a splash of stock, wine, or water to revive the sauce. Avoid reheating in the microwave, as it will make the shrimp rubbery.
Serving Suggestions
In Italy, we typically don’t serve seafood pasta dishes with Parmigiano cheese (parmesan cheese), but you can certainly add some if that is your preference!
Round out your meal with a pear gorgonzola salad and ciabatta bread–or another seafood side dish like these Italian baked stuffed clams! Don’t forget dessert, like a Classic Italian Tiramisu or Italian Almond Cake.
My Pro Tips
Expert Tips
- Cook the pasta perfectly. Make sure to salt the water to flavor the pasta from the inside out. Only cook until al dente; get more tips in my post How Long to Boil Spaghetti Pasta Perfectly Every Time.
- Do not overcook pasta or shrimp! It is good to remember that the pasta and shrimp will cook more once incorporated with the hot sauce.
- Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 2 days. Be sure to reheat it gently in a skillet over medium heat, and add a splash of wine, stock, or water to keep the pasta from drying out. Don’t microwave, as it will make the shrimp rubbery.
Other Italian Dinner Recipes You’ll Love
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Squid Ink Pasta with Shrimp and Cherry Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 pound squid ink linguine pasta, dried or fresh
- 1 pound fresh shrimp, deveined, cleaned, and dried with paper towels
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, red chili flakes
- 3 teaspoons salt, plus more for the pasta water
- 10 ounces cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- ¼ cup white wine, preferably Pinot Grigio
- fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
Prep the Shrimp & Pasta
- Clean and devein the shrimp, pat dry them with paper towels, and season with salt on both sides. Set aside.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add a generous amount of salt (it should taste like the sea!). Cook the squid ink pasta for 3 to 4 minutes if fresh, or if it's dried, until al dente for 8-9 minutes, or according to package directions.
Make the Sauce
- While the pasta cooks, make the sauce. In a large skillet, heat olive oil on medium-high heat until hot. Add the garlic. Cook, occasionally stirring, for 1-2 minutes or until lightly browned and fragrant.
- Add the cherry tomatoes, white wine, salt, and red pepper flakes. Cover with lid. Cook, occasionally stirring, for about 10 minutes or until tomatoes are softened and blistered.
Assemble the Dish
- Add the shrimp to the pan and cook at high heat for 5 minutes until tender and cooked. Drain pasta and reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water.
- Transfer the cooked pasta to the pan with the sauce, add the reserved pasta water, and toss to combine in the pan for about 1-2 minutes until the pasta is coated with the sauce and seafood. Transfer to a serving platter. Garnish with fresh parsley. Serve hot with crusty bread, like my no knead ciabatta bread.
Notes
- Cook Pasta Perfectly. Make sure to salt the water to flavor the pasta from the inside out. Only cook until al dente; get more tips in my post How Long to Boil Spaghetti Pasta Perfectly Every Time.
- Do not overcook pasta or shrimp! It is good to remember that the pasta and shrimp will cook more once incorporated with the hot sauce.
- Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 2 days. Be sure to reheat it gently in a skillet over medium heat, and add a splash of wine, stock, or water to keep the pasta from drying out. Don’t microwave, as it will make the shrimp rubbery.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Made this for my wife. Absolutely wonderful. I would definitely recommend simmer the pinot grigio in the shrimp peels and tails to extract additional flavor.
Yes, that sounds delicious! Thrilled both of you loved it.
A quick and easy yet restaurant-worthy pasta dish. Highly recommend.