A restaurant-quality squid pasta with marinara sauce that is very inexpensive and easy to make! This seafood pasta recipe requires minimal ingredients. It's the perfect pasta to make as a weeknight dinner or on special occasions without breaking the bank.

In this recipe, I will show you how to make delicious seafood dishes on a budget. This squid pasta will prove that you can make a five-star meal in your kitchen and at a fraction of what you’d pay at a restaurant.
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About This Squid Pasta with Marinara Sauce Recipe:
The squid is gently simmered in a homemade garlicky tomato sauce, then tossed with pasta as a complete meal.
This recipe is so easy to put together. It's probably not the quickest meal to make but it doesn't require a lot of cooking skills, preparation, or attention.
Is Squid The Same Thing As Calamari?
Calamari means "squid" in Italian and Spanish. Most calamari is made from squid less than 12 inches in length, also refer as baby squid.
In the US we use the word calamari for our deep-fried squid dishes. I enjoy those but prefer it even more when it’s not deep-fried.
A quick tip if you have ink from your squid don’t throw it away as you can use it to make squid ink pasta!
Squid Pasta Ingredients:
This fancy dish doesn't require a ton of ingredients. Here's what it contains:
- Squid, tubes, and tentacles
- San Marzano tomatoes, canned
- Garlic
- Dry white wine
- Clam juice or broth
- Italian seasoning
- Spaghetti or Fettuccine
If you don't have any access to clam juice, you can skip or use chicken broth as a replacement item.
The Best Way to Cook Squid:
Squid is cheap, versatile, and tasty. It can be grilled, fried, boiled, braised, or seared. Squid should either be cooked fast over high heat or slow over low heat.
In this recipe, you are going to cook the squid in the sauce over low heat until tender for about 20-25 minutes.
Homemade Marinara Sauce
There is nothing better than real, homemade marinara sauce.
This marinara sauce is made from scratch, using ingredients you probably already have in your pantry; garlic and San Marzano tomatoes.
I also added clam juice and dry white wine to elevate flavors and bring a bright and fresh element to the seafood pasta.
This marinara sauce is easy to cook, but tastes like it took hours to make!
How to Make Squid Pasta
Here are some important steps to follow.
Step 1. Make Marinara Sauce
- First, sauté garlic just until fragrant
- After that, add white wine and cook until the liquid is reduced to about half the quantity.
- Next, add clam juice, tomatoes, and Italian seasoning. Cook until the sauce is reduced and thickened (enough sauce to cover the cooked pasta, about 1½ cups).
- Last, add the fresh squid. Cook over low heat until very tender for about 20-25 minutes. Do not allow it to boil.
Step 2. Cook Pasta
In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta for about 2 minutes less than the direction for al dente (cooked through but still firm). Drain the pasta well and return it to the pot.
Easy Squid Pasta With Marinara Sauce
Step 3. Combine All Ingredients
First, you need to remove the cooked squid from the marinara sauce. Add molto al dente pasta (slightly undercooked) to the sauce and cook for 2 minutes. Add the squid back into the sauce. Stir to combine.
How to Store Leftover Seafood Pasta
First, let the seafood pasta cool at room temperature but no longer than 2 hours. After that, store the leftover in an airtight container.
The leftover pasta can last up to 3-4 days in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer.
CHECK OUT MORE PASTA RECIPES:
- INSTANT POT PENNE PASTA
- CAJUN CHICKEN ALFREDO PASTA
- ONE-POT PENNE PASTA
- CANNED TUNA PASTA
- WHITE SAUCE PASTA
- BRATWURST PASTA RECIPE (IN A BUTTERY BEER SAUCE)
📖 Recipe
Squid Pasta with Marinara Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh squid, tubes and tentacles, (rinsed and cut into ¼ inch thickness)
- 8 oz spaghetti or fettuccine pasta
- 2 garlic cloves, (smashed)
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- ½ cup clam juice, (or use chicken broth)
- 14 oz whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes, (break them apart and remove seeds)
- a pinch of red chili pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- black pepper, (to taste)
Optional:
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- a pinch of white sugar, (to add sweetness to the sauce, only if needed)
Instructions
- In a large sauce pan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook garlic for 30 seconds. Add wine and simmer for 1 minute. Add clam juice, tomatoes, and Italian seasoning. Cook until the sauce is reduced and thickened (enough to cover the cooked pasta) for 4-5 minutes. Taste and season sauce with a small pinch of red pepper flakes, sugar, and salt if needed.
- Add squid, cover, and simmer gently on low heat until the squid is tender for 20-25 minutes. Do not allow to boil.
- In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta for about 2 minutes less than the direction for al dente (cooked through but still firm). Drain it well.
- Remove the squid from the sauce. Add the cooked pasta into the marinara sauce. Cook until the pasta is done and has absorbed some of the sauce for 2 minutes. Stir the squid back into the sauce. Serve and enjoy!
Claudia Lamascolo
I love this recipe, it really takes me back to my Italian roots for Christmas Eve dinners and a must make this is all the flavors and so much easier thank you!
Rika
Thanks, Claudia!
Anjali
This recipe is super simple to make, but is packed with flavor thanks to the dried herbs and crushed red pepper! Yum!
Rika
Thanks, Anjali! I am glad that you enjoyed this squid pasta.
Tawnie
Made this for a date night in and the hubby loved it - thank you so much!
Rika
Great! Thanks for sharing your feedback!
Tara
What a gorgeous pasta dish! I love the minimal prep and how easily it comes together. Perfect for a date night.
Rika
Absolutely! Also for Valentine's day!
Rachel
Wow! I love that I can feel fancy at home with this recipe!
Rika
Thanks, Rachel! It's a fancy dish with minimal effort 🙂