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Spinach and Mushroom Stuffed Calamari with Tomato Basil Ragu
Date added: March 12, 2008
The first recipe I ever had professionally reviewed, this recipe has a special place in my heart.
Tired of just frying calamari over and over again? Well, here is something else you can do with your squid that will be nothing short of a true pleasure for you and your guests.
- Servings: 4 change
- Calories per serving: 231
- Prep time: 45
- Cook time: 90
Ingredients
Squid
- 2 cup white mushrooms, sliced, a mix of mushrooms is nice
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, minced, seperated
- 1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1 bag baby spinach
- to taste salt
- to taste black pepper
- 1 from 1 lemon lemon zest
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, flat leaf, chopped
- 1 cup bread crumbs, may need a little more or less
- 6 tubes calamari
Ragu
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 can canned whole tomatoes, italian style
- 1/2 cup fresh basil, about 10-20 leaves chopped
- to taste salt
- to taste black pepper
- 1 pinch sugar
Recipe Method
Prepare Calamari Filling:
1- In one pan, sauté sliced mushrooms with olive oil, a clove or two of minced garlic and chopped rosemary. Cook until most water is out of them, place in large bowl off heat.
2- In another pan, sauté baby spinach with oil and remaining garlic until wilted down. Press excess water out in a strainer, and place in bowl with mushrooms.
3- To the spinach/mushroom mixture, add salt, pepper, lemon zest, parsley and finally some bread crumbs to give it a little “body”. You are not looking to turn this into a bread stuffing, but you want something there to bind it together.
Make Ragu:
1- In a large pan - like a Dutch oven - heat oil, sauté minced garlic until fragrant, then add tomatoes and their sauce. Bring sauce to a boil, and crush the tomatoes with a
2- While the sauce is cooking, stuff the calamari. This recipe should fill about 6-8 tubes of calamari, depending on their size. Make sure the “tip” of the tube is closed, and if it isn’t, close it off with a toothpick. Fill the tube only about 1/3 - 1/2 with the stuffing, and seal off the big end with another toothpick.
3- Slip the calamari into the simmering sauce, cover pot, and cook for a total of 45 min to an hour, flipping the tubes every 15 minutes.
4- When serving, please be sure to remove the toothpicks first - they could be a nasty surprise otherwise…
Serves well on a bed of fettuccine with the tomato ragu as the sauce, or on their own with a nice bitter greens salad topped with a fresh lemon vinaigrette.
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Nutritional Facts
| Per serving | % Daily Value* |
| Calories 231 | 12% |
| Fat 9g | 13% |
| Cholesterol 132mg | 44% |
| Sodium 524mg | 22% |
| Carbohydrates 22g | 12% |
Recipe submitted by
Matt Finarelli - Ask a question
Matt has published two recipes, rated on average 4.00 out of 5 by one other member.
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