A Cosy, Restaurant-Worthy Pasta Made With Simple Ingredients and Budget-Friendly Squid
If you’re craving something a little bit special but still weeknight-friendly, this Chilli, Tomato & Squid Linguine is pure magic. Tender, slow-cooked squid melts into a rich tomato and red wine sauce, gently spiked with fresh chilli. Toss it through a bowl of al dente linguine, finish with a sprinkle of parsley and a burst of lemon zest – and suddenly dinner feels downright restaurant-worthy.
The best part? It uses budget-friendly squid, pantry staples, and only takes 45 minutes. Perfect for date night, entertaining, or treating yourself on a Tuesday.
Why You’ll Love This Squid Linguine
This Chilli, Tomato & Squid Linguine is one of those recipes that tastes like it came straight from a restaurant kitchen but uses simple, inexpensive ingredients you probably already have. Slow-cooked squid becomes incredibly soft, buttery and melt-in-your-mouth tender, soaking up a rich sauce made from sweet canned cherry tomatoes, a splash of red wine and a hit of fresh lemon zest for brightness. The balance of heat, depth and silky seafood richness makes this pasta feel truly special without the luxury price tag.
How to Cook Squid for Perfect Tenderness
Squid is one of those ingredients that absolutely shines when it’s cooked the right way — either super fast or slow and gentle. Anything in between and you end up in rubber-band territory, which nobody wants. In this recipe, the squid gets the low-and-slow treatment, simmering gently in the tomato, garlic and chilli sauce until it turns beautifully tender and silky. It absorbs all those rich flavours as it cooks, becoming soft and delicate.
Tips for Perfect Squid Linguine
- Taste the chillies first – heat levels vary a LOT. Add chilli flakes if yours aren’t spicy.
- Score the squid before slicing to help it tenderise and absorb flavour.
- Use good wine – bold reds like Cab Sav or Merlot work beautifully.
- Don’t rush the simmer – those 30 minutes make all the difference.
- Reserve pasta water to loosen the sauce at the end.
What To Serve with the Squid Pasta
This pasta is rich, silky and full of flavour, so it pairs beautifully with simple sides that let it shine. A bit of crusty bread is perfect for mopping up that gorgeous tomato and red wine sauce, and a fresh Rocket & Parmesan Salad adds the ideal burst of brightness alongside. If you’re in the mood, a glass of prosecco, Pinot Grigio or any crisp white wine complements the seafood perfectly. Finish with a little extra parsley and lemon zest and you’ve got a meal that feels elegant without even trying. Perfect for date nights, dinner parties or a cosy treat-yourself evening at home.
More Pasta Recipes:
- Easy Spaghetti & Meatballs – another great Italian favourite
- Kate’s Spaghetti Bolognese
- Easy Rocket & Parmesan Salad – the perfect salad to accompany this pasta
- Cheats Spinach & Ricotta Ravioli
- Slow Cooked Beef Shin Ragu with Pappardelle
Chilli, Tomato + Squid Linguine
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1-2 long red chillies, finely chopped (See Note 2)
- 700g squid tubes, scored and cut into 4-5cm pieces (See Note 4)
- ⅔ cup red wine
- 2 x 400g cans cherry tomatoes (I used Mutti brand)
- 400g dried linguine
- ¼ cup flat leaf parsley leaves, roughly chopped
- ½ fresh lemon, zested
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large heavy based frying pan or Dutch oven over medium heat until hot. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often, or until lightly golden in colour. Stir in the garlic and chilli and cook, stirring for a further 2 minutes.
- Add the squid pieces to the pan and cook for 3-5 minutes or until the squid has tightened up and turned opaque.
- Add the red wine and allow it to bubble up for 2 mins then add the tomatoes and 1/2 cup of water. Using the back of your spoon, gently squish the tomatoes to burst them, whilst stirring. Season well with salt and pepper.
- Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes or until squid is very tender, adding a little extra water if necessary if the sauce becomes too thick.
- Meanwhile, cook the linguine in a large saucepan of boiling salted water according to packet directions or till al dente. Drain the pasta over a colander, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
- Add the linguine, parsley, lemon zest and the some of the reserved pasta water (if required to loosen it up) to the squid sauce and toss to combine. Divide amongst serving bowls. Garnish with extra parsley, lemon zest and cracked black pepper. Serve with a rocket and parmesan salad and fresh crunchy bread if desired.
Notes
- COOKS NOTES:
Oven Temps: Oven temperatures are for conventional, if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C.
Measurements: We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon = 5 ml, 1 tablespoon = 20 ml and 1 cup = 250 ml.
Herbs: All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed.
Vegetables: All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified.
Eggs: We use extra-large size and eggs are 55-60 g each, unless specified. - CHILLI
I used the long red chillies. Sometimes they are not very spicy, if at all but sometimes they are very spicy. I always try a little when I first cut them to test. If the ones you have purchased are NOT spicy, add 1/2-1 teaspoon dried red chilli flakes to the sauce to boost the spiciness. Or you could use 1-2 small birds eye chillies instead if you like it super hot! - WINE
You could replace the red wine for white wine or use chicken stock if you want or need it to be alcohol free. If using wine, use a good bold wine like Cab Sav or Merlot. - SQUID
You can use frozen or fresh with fresh being the best option. Unfortunately fresh is hard to come by where I live so I had to use frozen and thawed. When defrosting, they will leak quite a lot of juices. Drain well and pat the squid dry inside and out with paper towel before scoring.
You can score the squid and cut into bite size pieces (as I have) or cut into “calamari rings” if you prefer. See the video I have linked above to see how to score squid tubes. - PASTA
Swap the linguine for fettuccini, spaghetti or any other pasta you like.
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