Laksa pasta takes the creamy, spicy coconut gravy of Singapore’s best-known noodle dish and spoons it over Italian pasta. This version uses jet-black squid ink pasta, prawns and squid rings. It serves four to six and is built around a ready-made laksa paste, so it comes together in a single pan in about ten minutes once the pasta is cooked.
What goes into squid ink pasta with laksa sauce?
The recipe calls for:
- 3 tbsp canola oil
- 3 tbsp chopped garlic
- 1 cup thawed frozen prawns
- 1 cup thawed frozen squid rings
- ½ packet of instant laksa paste
- 200ml natural coconut cream (UHT)
- 400g squid ink pasta
The original recipe used frozen seafood and an instant paste, which keeps the dish a weeknight option. Thawed prawns and squid cook in minutes, and the paste supplies the spice, dried shrimp and aromatics that would otherwise take a long time to pound and fry.
How do you cook it?
Cook the pasta first, until al dente, following the packet instructions, then set it aside. Squid ink pasta is sold dried and cooks like ordinary pasta, so the packet timing is the one to follow.
- Heat the canola oil in a hot pan. Add the garlic and stir-fry over medium heat for about 2 minutes, until golden.
- Add the prawns and stir-fry for 1 minute.
- Add the squid rings and the laksa paste. Cook for 3 minutes.
- Lower the heat and stir in the coconut cream. Simmer for 3 minutes.
- Add the pasta and toss until every strand is evenly coated. Serve immediately.
Why pair squid ink pasta with laksa?
Squid ink pasta is usually served in Italian-style seafood sauces. Squid and prawns are also at home in laksa, which makes the black pasta a natural match for a laksa-style sauce. The pasta’s colour makes the orange-red sauce stand out on the plate. The coconut cream softens the heat of the paste, so the sauce clings to the pasta rather than running off it.
The dish suits anyone who likes spicy food. It is a fusion idea, not a traditional recipe, and it has been shared as a quick way to give familiar flavours a new form.
What can go wrong, and how do you avoid it?
Seafood is the main risk. Prawns and squid cook very quickly, which is why the recipe keeps the prawns to a single minute before the squid and paste go in. Thaw frozen seafood fully beforehand and pat it dry, so the pan stays hot and the sauce is not watered down.
Keep the heat low once the coconut cream goes in. Coconut cream can split if it boils hard, so a gentle simmer keeps the sauce smooth. Toss the pasta through the sauce straight away, because it thickens as it sits.
Can you change the recipe?
The method works with other seafood in place of the prawns and squid. Use a laksa paste you like, and adjust the amount to your own tolerance for heat: the original used half a packet, so a cautious cook can begin with less and taste as the sauce simmers. Ordinary pasta can stand in for squid ink pasta, though the dish loses its dramatic black-and-orange look.
Serve it straight from the pan while it is hot. The recipe makes no mention of garnishes, so any additions, such as herbs or a squeeze of lime, are a matter of personal taste.