Venetian classic, Risotto al Nero is a real treat that never fails to impress! Our easy Squid Ink Risotto version uses frozen cooked seafood mix instead of the whole squid and is easy enough to put together for an evening meal! The dish will wow both with its striking jet-black appearance and the lovely flavours of the sea!
Here, at Somebody Feed Seb, Risotto is one of the most frequently cooked dishes! We love the creaminess of risottos, the comforting element that it provides and the fact that it’s a one-pan meal. But most of all, we love the fact that it is a blank canvas to add flavours to. Whatever you have left in the fridge, I promise you can make a risotto with it, as long as you have the right kind of rice.
Today we are sharing our simple, yet impressive seafood risotto that’s coloured (and flavoured) with squid ink. I know many people are not very confident when it comes to cooking seafood. And that’s why we used frozen cooked seafood mix in this recipe. All you need to do with it is defrost it and cook just enough to warm through. There’s no way you can go wrong and the result will be impressive! Of course, if you are a confident cook, feel free to use whole calamari, clams, langoustine or any other seafood. You can de-shell them first and even make your own stock.

But here we share our no-fuss version that will be (almost) just as good as Risotto al Nero made completely from scratch.
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To Make Squid Ink Risotto:
Make and keep fish stock in a pan on the lowest heat.

In a large frying pan, heat a tbsp of olive oil. Add the onion, garlic and bay leaf and cook on low heat for 10 minutes until the onions are soft but not browned.
Add the rice to the pan and mix with the onions. Then cook for 3-5 minutes until the rice starts to crackle and turn translucent.
Add the white wine and cook until it reduces by half. Add a ladleful of stock and squid ink and stir. Make sure the rice has fully absorbed the stock before adding another ladle. Continue adding stock until the rice is tender and cooked through.
In the meantime, heat 1 tbs of olive oil in another frying or griddle pan on high heat. Add your seafood and peas and cook for 2-3 minutes until warmed through.
When rice is cooked, mix in more squid ink if needed to achieve the right colour. Take off the heat, then add the seafood, peas and chopped herbs.
Finally, stir in grated Parmesan and season. Divide the risotto between bowls and enjoy!
If you have any squid ink left, make our delicious Squid Ink Pasta with Seafood next. You won’t regret it! For other risotto recipes, have a look at:
- Spinach and Mushroom Risotto with Pecan & Garlic Drizzle
- Sweet Chilli Pepper Risotto
- Blue Cheese Risotto with Sweet Potatoes & Walnuts

Risotto Al Nero di Seppia | Seafood Risotto with Squid Ink
Ingredients
- 200 g frozen cooked seafood mix defrosted
- 160 g of risotto rice
- 700 ml fish stock
- 8 g squid (cuttlefish) ink two sachets
- 2 tbsp of olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves peeled and crushed
- 1 onion peeled and finely diced
- 1 bay leaf
- 75 ml dry white wine
- 50 g frozen peas defrosted
- 5 g parsley chopped
- 5 g tarragon finely chopped
- 20 g butter
- 20 g Parmesan grated
Instructions
- Make and keep fish stock in a pan on the lowest heat.
- In a large frying pan, heat a tbsp of olive oil. Add the onion, garlic and bay leaf and cook on low heat for 10 minutes until the onions are soft but not browned.
- Add the rice to the pan and mix with the onions. Then cook for 3-5 minutes until the rice starts to crackle and turn translucent.
- Add the white wine and cook until it reduces by half. Add a ladleful of stock and half of the squid ink (1 sachet) and stir. Make sure the rice has fully absorbed the stock before adding another ladle. Continue adding stock until the rice is tender and cooked through.
- In the meantime, heat 1 tbs of olive oil in another frying or griddle pan on high heat. Add your seafood and peas and cook for 2-3 minutes until warmed through.
- When rice is cooked, mix in more squid ink (we used another sachet) if needed to achieve the right colour. Take off the heat, stir in grated Parmesan and season.
- Finally, add the seafood, peas and chopped herbs. Divide the risotto between bowls and enojy!
Nutrition

I am a huge fan of anything made with squid ink. Just love this recipe, so yummy!
Us too, Danielle! The squid ink we used in this risotto was leftover from our squid ink pasta – another one of our favourites…
Love it! I mean this is one amazing recipe to try and definitely the one I am keeping handy!
Thanks, Mahy! We love how simple, yet impressive-looking it is!
Wow – this looks so special, but is so quick! Bookmarking for a special dinner coming up.
That’s brilliant, Katherine! The cooking of it is no different to any other risotto, but squid ink certainly add the wow effect! 🙂
What a classic recipe, just wow! I love how it turned out and all the colors; thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Kechi! 🙂 It as pretty as it is delicious 🙂