Squid Pasta With Light Garlic Sauce

Sea salt
1 cup broccoli florets in small pieces
6 ounces cleaned squid (3 medium)
Freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons sake
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 ½ tablespoons clarified butter
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
4 large shiitake mushrooms, stems removed
6 medium-thin asparagus spears, slant-cut in 2-inch pieces
Shichimi togarashi (Japanese mixed ground spices, sold in Asian stores) to taste

Nutritional Information
- Nutritional analysis per serving (2 servings)
  245 calories; 11 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 2 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 13 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 17 grams protein; 222 milligrams cholesterol; 528 milligrams sodium

2 to 4 servings

Bring small saucepan of water to a boil; add pinch of salt. Add broccoli, boil 1 1/2 minutes, drain and transfer to bowl of ice water. Drain and set aside.
Pull tentacles from squid and discard or set aside for another use. Use kitchen shears to cut bodies lengthwise. Open squid, rinse, pat dry and place flat on cutting board. Use sharp knife or Japanese or Chinese cleaver to score each piece vertically, making cuts very close together, like ribs on rigatoni, but taking care not to cut completely through squid. Cut squid horizontally in 2-inch-wide strips. Cut each strip parallel to the scoring in half-inch wide pieces. Sprinkle strips with salt and pepper.
Mix sake and soy sauce and set aside.
Heat butter in medium skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté until it starts to sizzle and gives off fragrance. Increase heat to high, add mushroom caps top-side down, sear briefly, turn and add squid strips, then asparagus and then broccoli. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Stir-fry until squid strips start to curl and turn opaque, a minute or so, but are not fully cooked.
Drizzle sake-soy mixture over ingredients, stir and remove pan from heat. Stir again and transfer to serving dish. Sprinkle with shichimi togarashi and serve.