Pasta with Cuttlefish and Cherry Tomatoes

Method

1. Clean the cuttlefish and cut the body into small squares (quadrucci). Finely chop the fins and leave the tentacles whole or roughly chopped.
2. In a pan, heat a generous drizzle of olive oil. Add minced garlic, chopped parsley, and half a chili pepper (without cutting) and sauté until fragrant.
3. Add the tentacles to the pan and cook for 2–3 minutes.
4. Add the cherry tomatoes and the cuttlefish pieces. Season with a pinch of salt.
5. Cook the sauce for about 4–5 minutes (maximum 5 minutes). Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta (mezze maniche) until al dente.
6. After 4 minutes, check a piece of cuttlefish: it should be perfectly tender. Turn off the heat.
7. About 1 minute before the pasta is ready, reheat the sauce over high heat.
8. Drain the pasta slightly early and transfer it to the pan with the sauce. Toss well to combine.
9. Serve immediately, garnishing with fresh chopped parsley. Optionally add more chili if desired.