Black spaghetti (squid-ink) is one of my favorite pastas. It’s very versatile, and goes well with a good spicy kick. I like to do a lot of variations on this pasta, and I encourage you to experiment as well! Here’s a good base recipe to get you started.

Ingredients
A single serving of black pasta (fresh or dry)
1 small onion or half a medium onion
A handful of cherry tomatoes
About 1/3 cup of pancetta, chopped (you can adjust depending on how much you like!)
A pinch of dried ground red pepper
One bunch of kale (kale expands when you cook it, so get a healthy serving)
A couple of garlic cloves
Fresh basil, chiffonade
Olive oil, salt, pepper

Directions
1. Prep your ingredients by slicing onions (into half rings), mincing garlic, and cutting cherry tomatoes in half (so you have mini half-globes)
2. Boil your pasta water with olive oil and salt. Cook pasta al dente according to directions.
3. While your pasta is cooking, heat a small tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat and toss in onions. Cook onions down until they are caramelized, and set aside in a bowl.
4. In the same pan, start to brown half of your garlic with a little olive oil. Add pancetta and cook a few minutes until brown and crispy.
5. Add in cherry tomatoes to your pan, and toss together with some salt and pepper to taste. Add in your dried ground red peppers to taste.
6. Return your caramelized onions to the pan, and toss in cooked pasta. Mix in half of your basil chiffonade, and set your pasta into a serving bowl. Top with the remaining basil chiffonade.
7. Using the same pan, brown your remaining garlic with some olive oil. Toss in kale, and cook down with salt and pepper to taste. Add in a dash of dried ground chili pepper for an extra kick. Move your veggies to a small serving bowl.
8. Enjoy your pasta and kale!