I was always a fried calamari girl growing up (only the tube not the tentacles). Flash forward to 2023 and a customer asked me to make stuffed calamari. At first I was intimidated, but after some research and development (see, my family, I am using some of the stuff I learned in college) I chef'ed up a version of my late great-grandmother's stuffed calamari. I never tasted it before, so I went off of my mom's remembrance of what it tasted like. Nots sure if it came close, but it definitely was delishhh. I tweaked a few ingredients since then and am now ready to share it with all of you! Now you can wow your guests or your loved ones with this michelin star dish (3 of them according to my boyfriend).
Ingredients:
~ 4 servings
1.5 lbs of calamari tubes with tentacles (cleaned, separated and patted dry)
3 tbsp olive oil
1 cup of pinot grigio wine
3 cloves of garlic minced
5 cloves of garlic sliced
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped (keep 1/4 cup and 2 tbsp separate)
1/2 cup of seasoned breadcrumbs
1/2 cup of grated parmesan/parmigiana reggiano or pecorino romano
1 egg
juice of 1 lemon
salt to taste (start with 1/4 tsp)
pepper to taste (start with 1/4 tsp)
garlic powder to taste (start with 1/4 tsp)
1/2 lb pasta of your liking (I used angel hair)
1 cup pasta water
2 tbsp capers
Toothpicks
Instructions:
Wash your tentacles and tubes. Pat dry and keep separate!
Chop up the tentacles. Make sure to check for any cartilage. If you have a sharp enough knife that'll do, but I found using a kitchen scissor works best to chop it up.
Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a pan on medium heat.
Add in the tentacles and cook about 3 minutes.
Add in 1/2 cup of your white wine and bring to a low simmer.
Turn off the heat and add the breadcrumbs and 1/4 cup of chopped parsley.
Place the mixture in a separate bowl. Keep your pan on the stove. It'll be used after.
Add the cheese and egg then mix.
Now it's time to stuff. I've done the spoon method (gets messy), so what I've noticed works the best is adding the mix to a piping bag or a plastic baggy, cutting off the end/corner of the bag and piping it straight into each tube. ONLY FILL IT HALFWAY. THE TUBES SHRINK! Close it shut with a toothpick. My video linked below will have a great visual. There will be stuffing leftover. Don't throw it out. We will use it for the pasta sauce.
Ok great. Now, back to the pan I didn't let you clean. Heat up 1 tbsp of olive oil on medium heat.
Add in the SLICED fresh garlic and sauté a lil bit. Like 4 minutes. Don't let it burn, you'll have to restart this part.
Add the other 1/2 cup of white wine, juice of 1 lemon and 1 tbsp of fresh parsley and bring to a boil.
Place tubes into the sauce in a single layer. Let them cook about 5 minutes.
Add the salt, pepper and garlic powder.
Put the pot on low heat and cover. You'll want the juices to be at a low simmer, so you may have to adjust the heat. Cook for 20 minutes.
You can now bring a pot of salted water to a boil.
Once water is boiling, add in your pasta and cook until it is al dente.
Before straining, take 1 cup of pasta water out of the pot.
By now, the tubes should be done. Remove them from the pot and set aside on a dish or cutting board.
Add the pasta water and leftover stuffing to the pan and whisk until everything is incorporated. Taste to see if the seasonings need adjusting. You may need to add a little more salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Bring to a low simmer for about 5 minutes.
Add in the capers and mix.
Turn the heat to low and add in the cooked pasta. Give it a nice mix to get every crevice of each pasta piece coated in liquid gold (if you use spaghetti or angel hair, use tongs to mix. trust me it's easier).
Lastly, remove the toothpicks from the calamari tubes. You can either leave the tubes whole or slice them like I did in my video.
Time to plate it! Add the pasta, then the calamari on top & ENJOY YOUR MICHELIN STAR DISH <3
Optional: add a little garnish of parsley and grated cheese.
Tips:
If you multiply the recipe by 2 you'll have enough for a half tray.
Make sure to get the SEASONED breadcrumbs. Or make sure you season your bland breadcrumbs with salt, pepper, garlic powder, grated parmesan/parmigiana or pecorino romano, and parsley.
I wouldn't suggest making this a day in advance... it may get mooshad (if you don't know what that means, look it up), but you can make it the day of and just cook the calamari in the pot (step 15) half the time. When you're ready to heat it up just throw it in the oven at 350F for 15 minutes or back into a pan, but be delicate with the calamari. If you don't want it to get dry, save another 1/2 cup of the pasta water in the beginning and then add it to the dish before heating it up.
Don't want pasta? Eat it over rice! Or enjoy the calamari by itself.
Video Tutorials:
This recipe is perfect for any date night, dinner party, or holiday (or feast of 7 fishes)! A lot of steps, but sooooo worth it when you take that first bite.
Don't forget to share your creations by tagging me on social media. I'd love to see how you put your own spin on this classic recipe. Hope you enjoy!
If you enjoyed this recipe, don't forget to follow me on TikTok @rosabrinas_cucina, Instagram @rosabrinascucina and subscribe to my Youtube @rosabrinascucina for more creations or explore my website for other comforting recipes to add to your collection.
The best pasta dish I've ever had. Felt like I was at a Michelin restaurant in France. Just so unbelievably good