Date added: March 12, 2008
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.
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.
| Per serving | % Daily Value* |
| Calories 231 | 12% |
| Fat 9g | 13% |
| Cholesterol 132mg | 44% |
| Sodium 524mg | 22% |
| Carbohydrates 22g | 12% |
Matt Finarelli - Ask a question
Matt has published two recipes, rated on average 4.00 out of 5 by one other member.
Comments and questions :: Spinach and Mushroom Stuffed Calamari with Tomato Basil Ragu
Post comments, suggestions, substitutions, or questions below. Please use the stars to the right to rate the recipe.