Spaghetti con i Calamari

When cooking squid for a hungry crowd, why make one dish when you can make two.

So while big bro Massimo fried up the squid for the Frittura di Calamari plate, Giuseppe went to work on the Spaghetti con i Calamari.

Almost as simple as the fried calamari, it uses the same basic sauce as Spaghetti alle Vongole, oil, garlic, peperoncino, and cherry tomatoes.

The result however, is a completely different dish. The flavour the fresh squid infused into the sauce left even this less than ardent fan of calamari wanting for more.

Ingredients

2 Whole Fresh Squid
300 Grams Cherry Tomatoes
1 Clove Garlic
1 Peperoncino
Fresh Parsley
Fresh Basil
1 Cup White Wine
Olive Oil
Salt

Method

Cut the squid body into slices and halve the tentacles if they are large
Clean and halve the tomatoes
Rinse and chop the parsley
Peel and slice the garlic
Heat a generous amount of oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat
Add the garlic and cook 2 to 3 minutes
Add the peperoncino
Stir in the calamari and cook 3 to 5 minutes
Add the wine and cook until the liquid is reduced by half
Add the tomatoes and parsley and stir through
Salt to taste
Cover and cook on medium for 15 minutes
While the calamari is cooking, cook the spaghetti al dente
Stir a bit of the pasta water into the sauce and cook a few minutes longer
Drain the pasta, add it to the sauce and stir through
Garnish with a few basil leaves

Buon Appetito!

A native Neapolitan, Giuseppe Topo is a hairstylist and one of the owners of Noi, Naples only English-speaking salon. A passionate cook, when he’s not styling hair Giuseppe can be found in the kitchen cooking up one of his favorite Neapolitan dishes.

Find all of his great recipes at Cooking with Giuseppe!