Equipment
Ingredients
Squid
- 4 large squid tubes
Filling
- 250 g ricotta cheese, drained if very wet
- 150 g spinach, frozen chopped, thawed and squeezed entirely dry
- 30 g parmesan cheese, finely grated
- 1 egg
- 1 garlic, minced
- 1 g ground nutmeg
- 3 g fine sea salt
- 1 g black pepper, freshly ground
Tomato Wine Sauce
- 30 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 100 g yellow onion, finely diced
- 3 garlic, minced
- 120 ml dry white wine
- 400 g crushed tomatoes, canned
- 1 g red pepper flakes
- 10 g fresh parsley, chopped
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 490 kcal
- Protein
- 39 g
- Carbohydrates
- 19 g
- Fat
- 27 g
- Fiber
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 8 g
- Sodium
- 1442 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 12 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 7 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 343 mg
- Potassium
- 951 mg
- Calcium
- 406 mg
- Iron
- 4.3 mg
- Magnesium
- 104 mg
- Phosphorus
- 422 mg
- Zinc
- 2.9 mg
- Vitamin A
- 257 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 33 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.3 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 3.5 mg
- Vitamin K
- 227 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.3 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 1.8 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.09 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.68 mg
- Niacin
- 3.1 mg
- Folate
- 95 mcg
- Water
- 197 g
- Alcohol
- 3 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat the oven to 190C/375F.
In a mixing bowl, combine the drained ricotta, thoroughly squeezed dry spinach, parmesan, egg, 1 clove of minced garlic, nutmeg, salt, and black pepper. Stir until the mixture is uniform.
Spoon the ricotta mixture into the cleaned squid tubes, filling them only two-thirds of the way. Secure the open ends firmly by weaving a toothpick through the flesh.
Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large oven-proof skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion and the remaining 3 cloves of minced garlic, sauteing until softened and fragrant.
Pour the dry white wine into the skillet, scraping the bottom to release any browned bits. Let the wine reduce by half.
Stir in the crushed tomatoes and red pepper flakes. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer.
Carefully nestle the stuffed squid tubes into the simmering tomato sauce, spooning a little sauce over the top of each tube.
Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven. Bake at 190C/375F for 35 to 40 minutes, until the squid is completely tender to a fork bite and the internal temperature of the filling reaches 74C/165F.
Remove the skillet from the oven. Carefully extract the toothpicks from the squid tubes and scatter chopped fresh parsley over the dish before serving warm.
Chef's Notes
- Proper moisture control is the secret to a perfect stuffed squid. Take the extra minute to squeeze the spinach until it yields absolutely no drops of water.
- If your squid tubes are very small, reduce the baking time slightly and check for tenderness at the 25-minute mark.
- The rule of cephalopod cooking applies strictly here: cook very fast on high heat, or slow and low. We are using a 35-minute braise to ensure the proteins fully relax into a tender texture.
- If you purchased whole squid and cleaned them yourself, finely chop the tentacles and saute them with the onions in step 4 to add deep seafood flavor to the sauce.
Storage
Refrigerator: 2 days — Store in an airtight container. Reheat gently to avoid overcooking the squid.
Reheating: Reheat gently in a covered skillet over low heat until the filling reaches 74C/165F.
Troubleshooting
Squid tubes burst and filling leaked into the sauce
Cause: The tubes were overfilled, leaving no room for the squid to shrink during cooking
Fix: Stir the escaped filling into the sauce; it will enrich the tomato base beautifully
Prevention: Fill tubes maximum 2/3 full and leave an inch of space at the opening before securing with a toothpick
Squid is tough and rubbery
Cause: The squid was not cooked long enough to break down its connective tissues
Fix: Return to the oven for another 10 to 15 minutes until tender
Prevention: Ensure you braise for the full time; squid needs either flash-cooking under 2 minutes, or slow-cooking over 30 minutes
Filling is watery
Cause: Spinach or ricotta held too much moisture
Fix: Cannot be fixed after assembly, but simmering the final sauce uncovered on the stove for a few minutes can help evaporate excess liquid
Prevention: Thoroughly drain wet ricotta and wring out thawed spinach in a clean towel until entirely dry
Cultural Context
Stuffed calamari, or Calamari Ripieni, is a quintessential coastal Italian preparation spanning from Naples to Sicily. The dish ingeniously utilizes the squid's natural tubular shape as a cooking vessel, allowing the savory, breadcrumb or cheese-laced fillings to steam from the inside while the outside braises deeply in a Mediterranean tomato ragu.
