Squid Ink Malloreddus with Shrimp, Zucchini Flowers and Bottarga
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
Story of the Dish
This is a modern Sardinian seafood pasta. Malloreddus are traditional Sardinian gnocchetti, usually served with sausage ragù, but this version turns them into a coastal dish. Squid ink gives drama and depth, shrimp brings sweetness, zucchini flowers add elegance, and bottarga finishes everything with Sardinian intensity.
It is beautiful, unusual and perfect for a high-end Italian recipe.
Ingredients
Serves 4
400 g squid ink malloreddus / about 14 oz
350 g shrimp, peeled and deveined / about 12 oz
8 zucchini flowers
1 garlic clove
80 ml dry white wine / 1/3 cup
60 ml extra virgin olive oil / 1/4 cup
25 g grated bottarga / about 3 tablespoons
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
Preparation
Clean the zucchini flowers gently and remove the inner pistil. Slice them lengthwise.
In a wide pan, warm olive oil with garlic. Add the shrimp and cook for 1 minute. Add the white wine and let it reduce slightly. Remove some shrimp if needed so they do not overcook.
Cook the squid ink malloreddus in salted boiling water, but remove them 2–3 minutes before al dente. Save pasta water.
Transfer the malloreddus into the pan. Add pasta water little by little and finish cooking them in the sauce. Toss and reduce until the sauce becomes glossy and coats the pasta.
Add the shrimp back if removed. Add the zucchini flowers only at the very end so they soften without disappearing.
Plate and finish with bottarga, parsley, black pepper and olive oil.
Wine Pairing
Pair with Vermentino di Sardegna. Its freshness and minerality are perfect with shrimp, bottarga and squid ink.
Chef Tips
Zucchini flowers and bottarga must go in at the end. The malloreddus need to finish in the pan so the squid ink, shrimp juices, wine and pasta water become a real sauce.
Chef Gianluca Deiana
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