Aki's Kitchen - Recipes

Calamari (Squid) and Pasta

Main Meals

1

Tender calamari and pasta in a thin tomato sauce.

Ingredients:	Tools & Equipment:
2 - 2 1/2 pounds calamari, cleaned 3/4 tsp baking soda 1 large onion, finely diced 3 tbsp olive oil 1 garlic clove, skinned and mashed 2 - 3 heaping tablespoons tomato paste 1 tsp oregano 1 bay leaf 1 1/2 cups sea shells, macaroni or other small tube cut pasta water	sharp single bladed knife cutting surface medium bowl colander large non-stick pot wooden spoon

Notes:
Calamari is the Greek word for squid.

This is another Lent recipe that can be made into a "No-oil", simply by omitting the oil and substituting it with 1/4 cup water for the cooking. Cheese can be served; however, when fasting, cheese dairy products are not allowed.

Fresh or frozen squid can be used. Fresh squid is hard to find and "uncleaned": see instructions below on how to clean. Frozen squid, in comparison, is available year round and usually "cleaned" for you. The tentacles (head) have been detached from the body; the skin on the body has been removed and the beak and "plastic" inner body bone have also been removed, leaving little on your part to clean.

Squid, as with most seafood, sometimes tends to become rubbery and chewy. The baking soda is used as a tenderizer. If you're watching your salt intake, then you should consider whether or not to use the baking soda when preparing the squid, since the baking soda is sodium bicarbonate, which is a form of salt. It's your choice.

As an alternative, the calamari in tomato sauce can be made and served over pasta or rice of choice. Cook calamari for 30 minutes, reducing the sauce as little as possible.

Advance Preparation of the Squid:
For each fresh squid: pull the tentacles from the body, and then discard the detached "plastic" bone (picture 1). Remove and discard the sack of ink. Cut off and discard the beak from the head, and then pull off and discard the coloured skin from the body (mantle). Remove and discard any "plastic" parts in and around the base of the tentacles. With most frozen squid, these plastic parts haven't been removed and therefore, you have to remove them yourself. The skin, whether you're using fresh or frozen, can be left on the tentacles. Wash the pieces well under cold running water to remove any sand particles: a bit time consuming.

Leave the tentacles whole, but cut off the longest tentacles and set them aside, along with the rest of the tentacles in a medium bowl. Insert the knife into the body and then split the body open (picture 2). Place the body flat, on cutting surface, with the outside skin facing up. Score the skin diagonally, in 1/4-inch intervals, in a criss-cross manner with the knife. Cut the body in half lengthwise and then cut each half in 3 diagonal pieces (picture 3); add to the bowl with the tentacles. Add in the baking soda and then enough water to cover the pieces; stir everything around. Refrigerate covered well for at least 4 hours; preferably 24 hours.

How:
Rinse and drain the squid well; set it aside.

In a large pot, sauté the onion in the oil over medium heat for 3 - 5 minutes, or until wilted. Add in the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Increase the heat to high, add in the squid and then cook for 3 - 5 minutes, stirring occasionally; juices will accumulate. Add in the tomato paste and stir until dissolved. Add in enough water (2 - 4 cups) to cover the mixture by 2 inches, and then the oregano and bay leaf: stir well. Partially cover with matching lid and cook for 20 minutes, or until the calamari is almost tender, stirring occasionally; the liquid should have reduced by half.

Add in the pasta and 2 cups of cold water. Stir the mixture occasionally until it comes to a boil and then reduce the heat to low-medium, partially cover with lid and cook for 15 - 20 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked according to your preference, stirring frequently as liquid reduces and adding more water if liquid reduces too much.

Remove the pot from the heat and allow it to stand for 5 - 10 minutes to absorb excess liquid. When done, most of the liquid should be reduced, leaving behind a small amount of sauce. Discard the bay leaf and serve with grated cheese of choice: see notes above.

When the pasta has been cooked:

1. Squid separated into 2 parts: body (top left) and tentacles (top right and bottom right).

The size of tentacles vary, for example: some are large (top) and others are small (bottom).

2. Inserting the knife into the body to cut the body open.

3. Left: the body (previously scored) is cut in half lengthwise and then each half is cut into 3 diagonal pieces.

Right: the body is unopened or split.

If there-' too much liquid, then reduce the sauce over high heat, stirring constantly.
If the pasta still needs time to cook, but the liquid has reduced, which is often the case, because timing the pasta varies from one brand to the other, then add in some cold water, stir well and continue cooking and stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender, repeating if necessary.

back to top

Looking Back at Everything You've Made!
Cleaning the squid takes a bit of time and is a little messy. If cleaned frozen squid is available, then why not use it?