CALAMARI STUFFED WITH OLIVES AND CAPERS

Calamari Stuffed with Olives and Capers image

Number Of Ingredients 16

2 1/2 pounds cleaned large squid (calamari), about 6 to 8 inches long
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons chopped Gaeta, or other mild black olives
2 tablespoons chopped, rinsed, and drained capers
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
salt and freshly ground black pepper
SAUCE
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup dry red wine
2 cups chopped canned peeled tomatoes with their juice
1 clove large garlic, lightly crushed
pinch of crushed red pepper
salt

Steps:

1 Make a small slit at the pointed end of each calamari. Rinse thoroughly, letting the water run through the body sac. Drain and pat dry. Separate the bodies from the tentacles with a knife. Set the bodies aside. Chop the tentacles either with a large knife or in a food processor. 2 Pour the 2 tablespoons oil into a medium skillet. Add the garlic. Cook over medium heat until the garlic begins to turn golden, about 1 minute. Stir in the tentacles. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the bread crumbs, parsley, olives, capers, and oregano. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from the heat and let cool. 3 With a small spoon, stuff the bread crumb mixture loosely into the calamari bodies, filling them only halfway. Secure the calamari with wooden toothpicks. 4 Choose a skillet large enough to hold all of the calamari in a single layer. Pour in the 1/4 cup oil and heat over medium heat. Add the calamari and cook, turning them with tongs, until they are just opaque, about 2 minutes per side. 5 Add the wine and bring to a simmer. Stir in the tomatoes, garlic, crushed red pepper, and salt to taste. Bring to a simmer. Partially cover the pan and cook, turning the calamari occasionally, until they are very tender, 50 to 60 minutes. Add a little water if the sauce becomes too thick. Serve hot. From "1,000 Italian Recipes." Copyright 2004 by Michele Scicolone. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Nutrition Facts : Nutritional Facts Serves