Instructions
Follow the steps and taste along the way.
Prepare the ingredients
Pat the squid thoroughly dry with a paper towel and cut larger pieces into rings about 1 cm wide. Bring the water to a boil. Prepare the onion, garlic, tomatoes, and parsley as described above.
Make the risoni base
Heat 6 ml of olive oil in a deep pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 minutes, until softened and translucent. Stir in the garlic and sweet paprika, cook briefly for 30 seconds, then add the dry risoni.
Cook the pasta with the vegetables
Stir the risoni in the base for 1 minute. Pour in 350 ml of hot water and add the tomatoes, 1.6 g of salt, and the black pepper. Simmer gently for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour in the remaining 100 ml of water, add the peas, and cook for another 3–5 minutes, until the pasta is tender but still holds its shape and only a little creamy liquid remains in the pan.
Sear the squid over high heat
While the pasta cooks, heat a second pan over high heat. Add the remaining 4 ml of olive oil and sear the squid in a single layer, in two batches if needed depending on the size, for about 60–90 seconds per side. Season it with the remaining 0.8 g of salt. As soon as it turns white and is lightly browned around the edges, remove it from the heat; cooking it longer would dry it out.
Finish and serve
Remove the pan of risoni from the heat and stir in the lemon juice and half the parsley. Arrange the seared squid on top and toss gently. Taste; the dish should be pleasantly bright and tangy, not too salty. Serve immediately, sprinkled with the remaining parsley.
