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Stuffed Calamari Recipe (Italian Stuffed Squid)
Stuffed calamari, or Italian stuffed squid, is a classic seafood dish made by filling tender calamari tubes with a savory mixture of chopped tentacles, soft bread, egg, garlic, parsley, and Parmigiano Reggiano.In this stuffed calamari recipe, I'll show you two ways to cook them using the same flavorful filling: simmered in tomato sauce or without tomato sauce, gently cooked with olive oil, garlic, parsley, and white wine. Both versions are delicious, so you can choose the one you prefer.
Ingredients
For the Stuffed Calamari
- 600 g cleaned whole calamari - 1.3 lb, tubes and tentacles separated
- 120 ml dry white wine - ½ cup
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
- 100 g soft white bread, crust removed - 3.5 oz, about 4 slices of sandwich bread
- 1 large egg
- 50 g grated Parmigiano Reggiano - ½ cup
- 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- fine salt - to taste
For the Tomato Sauce Version
- 5 medium ripe vine tomatoes, chopped or 15–20 cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
Instructions
How to Make the Filling
- Place the cleaned tentacles on a cutting board and finely chop them.
- Heat 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped tentacles, 1 whole garlic clove, and a small pinch of salt.Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Pour in 60 ml (¼ cup) of dry white wine, increase the heat, and cook for another 2–3 minutes, until the alcohol has evaporated. Turn off the heat.
- Soak the bread in a little water for a few minutes, then squeeze it very well to remove as much moisture as possible.Transfer the bread to a bowl.
- Remove the cooked garlic clove from the skillet, finely chop it, and add it to the bread together with 1 tablespoon of chopped parsley.Add the bread mixture to the skillet with the cooked tentacles.
- Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring well so the bread absorbs the flavor of the tentacles.Remove from the heat and let the mixture cool for a few minutes.
- Transfer it to a bowl, then add the beaten egg and Parmigiano Reggiano. Mix thoroughly until the filling is evenly combined.
How to Stuff Calamari
- Using a teaspoon, fill each calamari tube only about ¾ full.
- Close the open end of each calamari tube with one or two toothpicks.At this point, you can cook the stuffed calamari with tomato sauce or without tomato sauce, following one of the two methods below.
Do not pack the filling too tightly. The calamari will shrink slightly during cooking while the filling expands, so overstuffing can cause the tubes to split.
How to Cook Stuffed Calamari in Tomato Sauce
- Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.Add the second whole garlic clove and the stuffed calamari. Cook for about 5 minutes, turning them gently so they begin to color on all sides.
- Pour in the remaining 60 ml (¼ cup) of dry white wine and cook over high heat for about 2–3 minutes, until the alcohol has evaporated.
- Add the chopped fresh tomatoes and 1 tablespoon of chopped parsley. Season lightly with salt.Cover and simmer over low heat for about 30 minutes, turning the calamari gently two or three times during cooking.The exact cooking time may vary slightly depending on the size of the squid.Remove the toothpicks before serving. Serve the stuffed calamari whole or sliced, with plenty of the tomato sauce spooned over the top.
How to Cook Stuffed Calamari WITHOUT Tomato Sauce
- Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.Add the second whole garlic clove and the stuffed calamari. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of chopped parsley and cook for about 5 minutes, turning occasionally.
- Pour in the remaining 60 ml (¼ cup) of dry white wine and let it evaporate over high heat for about 2–3 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for about 20 minutes, turning the calamari occasionally.Cooking time may vary depending on their size.
- When ready, the calamari should be tender with a lightly browned exterior and a soft, flavorful filling.Remove the toothpicks and serve them whole or sliced into rounds.
If the calamari begin to swell noticeably during cooking, gently prick them once with a toothpick to release some of the steam.Taste and adjust the salt if necessary.
Notes
About the calamari: Squid can vary considerably in size, so it's more accurate to measure them by weight rather than by number. For this recipe, I used medium calamari about 15 cm (6 inches) long.
BEFORE YOU START
You can make this stuffed calamari recipe with either fresh or frozen squid. If using frozen calamari, thaw them completely in the refrigerator before cooking.
The calamari must also be cleaned before you begin. You can buy them already cleaned, ask your fishmonger to prepare them, or clean them yourself following the instructions in the How to Clean Calamari section above.
Keep the tubes whole for stuffing and set the tentacles aside for the filling.
Nutrition
Serving: 100gCalories: 514kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 34gFat: 29gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 399mgSodium: 414mgPotassium: 865mgFiber: 3gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 2120IUVitamin C: 39mgCalcium: 265mgIron: 3mg
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