Stuffed Calamari Braised With Fresh Peas Recipes

STUFFED BRAISED SQUID

Steps:

• Place half the capers in a bowl with the breadcrumbs, egg, 1 tablespoon of oil and 2 tablespoons of water. Finely grate in the pecorino, peel the garlic, finely chop with the parsley (stalks and all), then scrunch it all together.
• Peel and finely slice the onion and place in a casserole pan on a medium heat with 2 tablespoons of oil, stirring occasionally. Now, a great nonna trick: squeeze the tomatoes while submerged in a bowl of water to remove the seeds (and prevent them going everywhere!). Add the tomatoes to the pan with the passata. Simmer on a low heat while you stuff the squid.
• Keeping the tentacles to one side, just over half-fill each squid tube with the breadcrumb mixture, pushing it right down into the tube but being mindful not to pack it too tightly. Use a cocktail stick or toothpick to seal or, like Franchina learnt from her grandparents, use a needle and thread. Stir the remaining capers into the sauce, then add the stuffed squid and tentacles. Simmer on a low heat for 25 to 30 minutes, or until tender.
• Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a pan of boiling salted water according to the packet instructions. Use tongs to move the squid pieces to a board. Removing the sticks or thread, slice the tubes to reveal the filling, then arrange on a platter, spoon over a little sauce and pick over the basil. Drain the pasta, reserving a mugful of starchy cooking water, then toss with the remaining sauce, loosening with a splash of cooking water, if needed. Serve with a grating of pecorino, alongside that tasty braised squid.

BRAISED CALAMARI STUFFED WITH SHRIMP, SPINACH, AND HERBS

Steps:

• For the calamari: Roughly chop 3 of the calamari tubes and add to a food processor with the shrimp and garlic. Pulse into a coarse paste. Remove to a large bowl and add the spinach, eggs, breadcrumbs, cheese, herbs, and crushed red pepper. Season with salt and stir to combine. The mixture should be a little chunky but moist and holding together. Test the seasoning of the mix by making a mini patty, cooking it in a small pan, and eating it. It should taste really good! If it doesn't, it is probably missing salt. Add more salt, as needed. Divide the stuffing among the remaining 8 calamari bodies and secure closed with toothpicks.
• For the sauce: Coat a large, wide skillet or saucepan with olive oil and add the onions and crushed red pepper. Season with salt and put the skillet over medium heat. Saute the onions until they are soft and aromatic, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, another 2 minutes. Stir in the wine and cook until the wine has reduced by half. Pass the tomatoes through a food mill or puree them in a food processor and add them with 1 cup of water to the skillet. Season with salt, to taste, and simmer the sauce for 15 minutes.
• Add the calamari to the skillet and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, turning them over halfway through the cooking time. Remove the calamari from the skillet and remove the toothpicks. Reduce the sauce to thicken, if needed. Arrange the calamari on a serving platter and cover with the sauce before serving.

STUFFED CALAMARI

Steps:

• Clean squid. Remove tentacles and fins. Boil tentacles and fins for 15 minutes. Drain and cool. Chop finely. In mixing bowl, combine ricotta, egg, cheese, parsley, chopped tentacles and fins, salt and pepper. Stuff squid with cheese mixture. Close each end with a toothpick. After stuffed, dredge in flour. Heat the oil in large pan and saute squid until brown on all sides. Remove from pan. Drain oil from pan. Add garlic and white wine. Bring to a boil, turn heat down to a simmer and reduce to half. Add tomatoes, salt pepper, and oregano. Bring to a boil and cook 10 minutes. In roasting pan, place squid and pour over tomatoes. Cover pan with foil, bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve.

BRAISED CALAMARI STUFFED WITH SHRIMP, SPINACH AND HERBS

Steps:

• To make the calamari:
• Roughly chop 3 of the calamari tubes and add to a food processor with the coarsely chopped shrimp and garlic. Pulse into a coarse paste. Remove to a large bowl and add the spinach, eggs, bread crumbs, cheese, herbs, and pinch of crushed red pepper. Season with salt and stir to combine. The mixture should be a little chunky but moist and holding together. Test the seasoning of the mix by making a mini patty, cooking it in a small pan and eating it. It should taste really good! If it doesn't it is probably missing salt. Add more salt, to taste. Divide the stuffing among the 8 remaining calamari bodies and secure closed with toothpicks.
• To make the sauce:
• Coat a large, wide skillet or saucepan with olive oil and add the onions and a pinch of crushed red pepper. Season with salt and put the saucepan over medium heat. Saute the onions until they are soft and aromatic, about 7 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another 2 minutes until fragrant. Stir in the wine and cook until the wine has reduced by half. Pass the tomatoes through a food mill or puree them in a food processor and add them and 1 cup of water to the pan. Season with salt, to taste, and simmer the sauce for 15 minutes.
• Add the calamari to the pan and cook for 20 to 25 minutes turning them over halfway through the cooking time. Remove the calamari from the pan and remove the toothpicks. Reduce the sauce to thicken, if needed. Arrange the calamari on a serving platter and cover with the sauce before serving.
• Deliciouso!

STUFFED CALAMARI BRAISED WITH FRESH PEAS

Steps:

• Leave the calamari bodies whole and chop the tentacles into 1/4-inch pieces.
• To make the stuffing: Heat 4 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped garlic and cook, shaking the pan, until golden, about 1 minute. Scatter the chopped tentacles over the oil, sprinkle the thyme over them, and season lightly with crushed red pepper and salt. Cook until the liquid given off by the tentacles is evaporated and the tentacles begin to brown, about 6 minutes. Stir in the cognac, bring to a boil, and cook until it is almost completely evaporated. Stir in the bread crumbs and cook until they begin to toast, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the parsley, and set aside until cool enough to handle.
• Divide the stuffing evenly among the calamari, packing it lightly into the body cavities. An espresso spoon or small teaspoon is a good tool. (It will seem as though there is not enough stuffing, but the stuffing will expand and the calamari will shrink.) Seal the open end of the calamari with a toothpick.
• Heat 4 tablespoons of the remaining olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Slip as many of the stuffed calamari into the skillet as fit in a single layer. Cook, turning as necessary, until caramelized on both sides, about 8 minutes. Slip more calamari into the oil as those in the pan shrink. Transfer the calamari to a plate as they are done, leaving behind as much oil as possible. Stir the onion into the oil remaining in the pan and cook, stirring, until wilted, about 4 minutes. Stir in the peas and season lightly with salt and crushed red pepper. Lower the heat to low and cover the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the peas are tender, about 20 minutes for fresh peas or 10 minutes for frozen peas.
• Return the calamari to the pan. Sprinkle the scallions over them, pour in the stock, and season lightly with salt. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat so the sauce is simmering. Simmer, uncovered, until the calamari are tender and there is barely enough liquid to moisten the peas, about 20 minutes. Drizzle in the remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Transfer the calamari to warm plates or a platter and spoon the sauce and peas over and around them. Serve immediately.