Best Stuffed Calamari Recipes

ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS STUFFED CALAMARI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Rinse the calamari tubes and pat dry.
• In a large bowl, stir together the onions, 6 cloves garlic, shrimp, crabmeat and lemon juice. Spoon some of this mixture into each squid tube and seal the ends by 'sewing' with a toothpick. Arrange in a single layer in the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Set aside.
• Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in cream cheese and 2 cloves garlic. Cook and stir until cream cheese has melted. Gradually whisk in the milk. Cook until heated through and then remove from the heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese and pepper. Pour over all of the calamari tubes in the baking dish. Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of Romano cheese on top of each one.
• Bake uncovered until the cheese is browned and sauce is bubbly. While the calamari is baking, Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add linguine pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain. Serve the stuffed calamari and sauce over a bed of linguine.

STUFFED CALAMARI, SICILIAN STYLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Clean the 12 large squid tubes; remove skin and cartilage inside the squid and rinse and clean. In a large pan saute onions in 2 tablespoons olive oil until soft. In a large bowl, combine the Sauteed onions, 1/2 cup of olive oil, garlic, 1 cup pecorino, 1/2 cup parsley, and the bread crumbs and mix well. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of oil to make the bread crumbs soft. Add the raisins last. Fill the squid tubes with the mixture and secure with a toothpick at the top opening. Lay the tubes in a baking pan with a little oil in the bottom of the pan, and bake for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, remove from oven and top with tomato sauce. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of pecorino and an additional 1/4 cup of parsley. Put pan back in the oven and bake until the cheese is melted, 10 to 15 minutes.
• In a large frying pan, mix crushed tomatoes, garlic, basil, salt, pepper and sugar. Cook for 5 minutes and set aside.

BAKED STUFFED SQUID: CALAMARI RIPIENI AL FORNO

Steps:

• To make the sauce: Pour the oil into a medium size saucepan, add the onion, a pinch of salt and pepper and saute at medium to medium-high heat until the onion becomes golden and tender and you can see through it. Add the pine nuts, the raisins and the olives, (for a tangy taste, add the capers). Saute for about 3 more minutes). Add the can of tomatoes (add about 1/2 can of water to thin the sauce for cooking) and cook at medium heat for about at least 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Lastly, add the basil leaves for a more fresh and tasty flavor.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• To make the stuffing: in a medium bowl, beat the eggs and gradually add the bread crumbs, raisins, pine nuts, tentacles and cheese. Mix to a soft consistency. Stuff squid loosely with the mixture and secure opening with a small skewer or toothpick. Place a single layer of squid in a medium baking dish (9 by 13-inches). Top with the sauce. Sprinkle a little grated romano, some dry seasoned bread crumbs, a pinch of salt and pepper over the sauce, then drizzle with some olive oil. Cover pan with aluminum foil and bake for about 45 minutes or until tender.

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!

GRILLED SAUSAGE-STUFFED CALAMARI

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir onion and red pepper with a pinch of salt in hot oil until onion is soft and translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
• Stir sausage, minced tentacles, onion mixture, parsley, egg, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper together in a bowl until evenly combined. Transfer mixture to a piping bag.
• Pipe sausage mixture into tubes, filling about each tube about 2/3 full. Thread a toothpick through the top of each tube to fasten the opening together. Place stuffed tubes on a plate, cover the plate with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until completely chilled, about 1 hour.
• Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate.
• Brush tubes with remaining olive oil to coat on all sides and season with salt.
• Cook stuffed calamari on the preheated grill, turning occasionally, until stuffing is cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 155 degrees F (68 degrees C).

STUFFED AND GRILLED CALAMARI APPETIZER

Steps:

• For the filling: Saute leeks in olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-low heat until softened, 7 to 10 minutes. Add shallot and garlic and saute 3 minutes. Add wine, parsley, vinegar, tarragon, salt, chile flakes and lemon juice and turn heat to high. Cook until reduced 85 percent, 3 to 5 minutes
• Turn heat to medium and add butter. Let melt, then add prawns. Cook, stirring, until just done, about 3 minutes.
• Stir in breadcrumbs to absorb any remaining liquids and remove from heat.
• Transfer to a bowl and chill completely before stuffing calamari.
• For the calamari: Insert a funnel into the open end of a calamari.
• Fill the funnel about halfway with the filling and push it into the calamari, filling it only three-quarters of the way full, to allow for shrinkage as it cooks. Use a toothpick to skewer the tentacles to the opening of the calamari. Repeat with remaining filling and calamari.
• Preheat a grill or saute pan over medium-high heat. Cook the calamari, 2 minutes per side.
• Arrange grilled calamari on a serving dish and serve with warm Roasted Yellow Bell Sauce and sprinkled with Fried Capers.
• Roast pepper on open flame of stovetop burner, turning as outside blackens, until roasted on all sides. Place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let cool for 5 minutes. Remove outer burnt skin of pepper, cut into quarters and remove stem and seeds.
• Place pepper in a small food processor.
• Steep garlic in hot cream for 2 minutes, then add to processor. Add butter, parsley, shallot, vinegar, salt and lemon juice and process to make a smooth puree.
• Rinse capers with water, then squeeze with hands to express any juices. Drain very well.
• Heat oil to 350 degrees F in a small saucepan over medium heat. Carefully add capers to hot oil and fry until darkened in color and capers have become crispy, approximately 7 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

GRILLED SAUSAGE-STUFFED CALAMARI

Steps:

• Soak bread crumbs in milk in a large bowl.
• Toast fennel seeds in a dry small skillet (not nonstick) over medium-low heat, shaking skillet occasionally, until fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes. Chop fennel seeds and add to bread-crumb mixture along with pork, garlic, paprika, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Gently mix with your hands until well blended. Using a small spoon, loosely stuff squid with fennel sausage, leaving a 1/2-inch space at top (you may have some stuffing left over). Seal tops using wooden picks.
• Prepare grill for direct-heat cooking over medium-hot charcoal (medium heat for gas); see Grilling Procedure .
• Coat stuffed squid and tentacles with oil and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Oil grill rack, then grill stuffed squid, turning frequently, until golden in spots and an instant-read thermometer inserted into center of filling registers 150 to 155°F, 13 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a platter. Grill tentacles until opaque and curled, about 1 minute, then add to platter. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with parsley.
• What to drink:
• Fontaleoni Vernaccia di San Gimignano '07

STUFFED CALAMARI

Steps:

• Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Add onion and poblano and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and butter and cook until butter has melted. Remove from heat. Add breadcrumbs, 3 tablespoons parsley, and 1/4 cup water; stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper; transfer to a bowl to cool.
• Using a spoon, stuff each calamari body with about 2 tablespoons breadcrumb mixture; thread a toothpick through the open end to enclose. Sprinkle stuffed calamari with any remaining breadcrumb mixture.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add calamari and cook until golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn and continue to cook 2 more minutes. Add wine; let reduce for 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and cook, until sauce thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining tablespoon parsley. Remove toothpicks and serve immediately with creamy polenta.

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:

• 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.

SHRIMP-STUFFED CALAMARI WITH POLENTA

Steps:

• Prepare the calamari: Rinse the bodies and set aside. Dice the tentacles and the shrimp into 1/4-to-1/2-inch pieces. Beat the egg in a large bowl. Add the diced calamari tentacles and shrimp, the breadcrumbs, cheese, parsley, basil, lemon zest and juice, anchovies and garlic. Add 3 tablespoons olive oil, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste and mix until combined.
• Using your fingers, stuff each calamari body about two-thirds full with the shrimp-breadcrumb mixture and close with a toothpick. Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil in a wide pot over medium-high heat. Sear the calamari in batches until browned and opaque on both sides, 8 to 10 minutes, and transfer to a plate.
• Make the sauce: Lower the heat, add the garlic and red pepper flakes to the pot and cook, stirring, 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt, then add the wine and scrape up any browned bits from the pot. Boil until the wine is almost evaporated, then crush the tomatoes into the pot with your hands and add the juices. Add 1 cup water, 3/4 teaspoon salt and the basil stalks. Arrange the calamari in a single layer in the pot. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook until the calamari are tender, about 40 minutes. Uncover and cook until the sauce thickens, 10 to 15 more minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the polenta: Place 4 1/2 cups cold water in a separate pot over low heat. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt and the bay leaf. Whisk in the polenta in a slow, steady stream, then increase the heat to medium and bring to a boil, whisking frequently. Reduce the heat and cook at a bare simmer, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the polenta is thick and pulls away from the sides of the pot, about 25 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and cheese.
• Divide the polenta among shallow bowls. Discard the toothpicks and place the calamari on top of the polenta. Remove the basil stalks and spoon the sauce over the dish. Garnish with the chopped basil and more parmesan.

GRILLED STUFFED CALAMARI

Steps:

• Prepare a stove-top griddle or an outdoor grill.
• In a medium bowl, combine the tomatoes, frisee, and capers. In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons olive oil, lime juice and zest, and salt and pepper. Drizzle over the frisee mixture and toss to coat.
• Stuff 1 tablespoon of the frisee mixture into each squid. Brush the remaining teaspoon of olive oil on the squid.
• Grill for 5 to 7 minutes, turning frequently.

GRILLED CALAMARI STUFFED WITH SAUSAGE

Steps:

• 1. Soak bread crumbs in milk in a large bowl. Meanwhile, toast fennel seeds in a dry small skillet over medium low heat, shaking skillet occasionally, until fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes. Chop fennel seeds and add to bread crumb mixture along with pork, garlic, paprika, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Gently mix with your hands until well blended.
• 2. Using a small spoon, loosely stuff squid with fennel sausage, leaving a 1/2 inch space at top. Seal tops using wooden picks. Prepare grill for direct heat cooking over medium hot charcoal or medium heat for gas.
• 3. Coat stuffed squid and tentacles with oil and season with 1/2 tsp salt. Oil grill rack, then grill stuffed squid, turning frequently until golden in spots and an instant read thermometer inserted into center of filling register 150 to 155 degrees, about 13 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a platter. Grill tentacles until opaque and curled, about 1 minute and add to platter. Drizzle with oil, sprinkle with parsely and serve with lemon wedges.

STUFFED CALAMARI WITH SNAPPER AND FREGOLA IN A BURST CHERRY TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• For the tomato sauce: To a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the olive oil, garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook until the garlic is fragrant, being careful not to burn. Add the cherry tomatoes; toss to combine and coat with the oil. Add the chicken stock and cook until tomatoes burst, about 10 minutes. Hold over medium-low heat.
• For the fregola: Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add the fregola and cook according to package instructions. Drain and toss with the corn. Season with salt.
• For the stuffed calamari: Combine rock shrimp, breadcrumbs, parsley and some salt in a food processor. Pulse to a thick paste; add olive oil if needed. Transfer the shrimp paste to a medium pastry bag and pipe into the calamari until three-quarters full. Seal the calamari with skewers.
• Simmer the stuffed calamari in the tomato sauce for 5 minutes. Flip and simmer until cooked through, another 5 to 7 minutes.
• For the snapper: Heat the oil in a medium saute pan over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the snapper with salt on both sides. Place the fish in the hot pan, skin-side up, for about 3 minutes. Flip and cook on the reverse side for an additional minute or until cooked through. Remove the fish from the pan.
• To serve: Spoon the fregola and corn onto a plate, place a snapper fillet and some stuffed calamari on top. Top with tomato sauce.

CALAMARI RIPIENI (STUFFED SQUID)

Steps:

• Core and slice the radicchio into 1/4-inch slices.
• Clean squid by removing the ink sac and the intestinal matter and discard. Cut off the tentacles and set aside both the squid and the tentacles.
• In a frying pan, saute the bacon until slightly brown. Add the radicchio and tentacles, and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook over low heat until the radicchio goes limp, about 4 minutes, adding water if needed. Remove ingredients to chopping board or food processor. Chop finely.
• Place the chopped mixture in a medium-size bowl and add the bread crumbs and egg. Mix thoroughly.
• Stuff each squid with the mixture. Place the squid with the extra-virgin olive oil in a skillet and cook over moderate heat about 20 minutes, basting with wine.

BRAISED CALAMARI STUFFED WITH SHRIMP, SPINACH AND HERBS

Steps:

• Directions 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.

STUFFED CALAMARI IN TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• We purchase our calamari frozen. Thaw them under cool water, removing the weird plastic-like peices that you'll find in the body cavity. Remove the tentacles (they will be used0we boil and marinate some, fry some without brfeading and other with), leaving only the body cavity. Prepare the sauce: heat the olive oil, add garlic (but do not burn), add tomato sauce, basil, salt, pepper, and a pinch of sugar if you like. Allow to simmer while preparing the stuffing. In a large bowl, add two 15oz. cans of bread crumbs (or four cups of fres), one head of minced garlic, a cup of water or milk, and an egg. Add as much cheese as you'dlike, and copious quantities of the chopped fish and squid. Mix by hand until you get a moist mixture, one that will stick together of its own accord (which means you can add water, milk, whatever until you achieve the consistency of, say, a meatball). Now it's time to stuff the calamari. We use those disposable aluminum trays from the super market, but you could also use a casserole dish. Cover the bottom with olive oil. Stuff the calamari-tight but not too tight, as the mixture will expand. Lay the stuffed calamari in the tray in rows (feel free to do more than one layer). Drizzle olive oil and cheese over the calamari, then add more basil to the sauce and pour the sauce over the entire thing. Cover with foil and a lid and then put in an oven that has been pre-heated to 450 degrees. Cook for about an hour (not really an exact science).

GRILLED STUFFED CALAMARI 'SUSHI' WITH BLACK BEAN AIOLI

Steps:

• Pre-heat a grill very hot. In a skillet coat lightly with oil and on high heat, saute the pepper and lapchong until soft, about 4 minutes. Fold in rice and add the scallions, cilantro and oyster sauce. Season and check. Stuff the squid tubes using a pastry bag or plastic bag with the tip cut off. Oil the grill and season the tubes with salt and chile. Mark the tubes, and roll them around so that all sides cook evenly, about 5 minutes total. Be careful not to overcook the squid as it will get tough. Let rest 1 minute then slice into one inch pieces, like sushi.
• Saute garlic, chiles, black beans and ginger until soft. Deglaze with vinegar and reduce by 80%. Let cool completely. In a food processor, add mixture with yolks. While processor is on, drizzle in oil, slowly at first until it emulsifies, then more quickly. Check for seasoning. Store in refrigerator.
• PLATING Fill a small dish with the aioli and arrange the 'sushi' around the dish.

CREAMY POLENTA FOR STUFFED CALAMARI

Steps:

• In a large, deep saucepan bring milk to a boil over medium-high heat. While whisking constantly, add polenta in a slow, steady stream. Reduce heat to medium, cook until thickened, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, about 15 minutes. Remove pan from heat and stir in cheese, heavy cream, and butter. Season with salt and pepper.

PRAWN AND CHICKEN STUFFED CALAMARI - THAI STYLE

Steps:

• Calamari:.
• Mix the prawn chicken and garlic together. Stuff the calamari with the mixture until full, but taking care not to 'over-stuff' as the calamari will expand when cooked. Secure the open end of the calamari with toothpick/s.
• In a steamer, steam the calamari for about 25- 30 minutes ( note: if using the baby calamari tubes, 10 minutes is sufficient). Use this opportunity to make sauce.
• When the steaming is completed, roll the calamari tube in a shallow dish containing the fry powder. Once coated, remove the calamari tube and add water to the fry powder to make a paste as per the packets instructions. (note - it works best if thickish - if too runny, the paste will not adhere to the tube well).
• Heat oil is a wok so that it is just starting to smoke. Add calamari tube and fry quickly on all sides - the coating should be a light, crisp batter.
• Remove calamari from oil, and cut into slices/discs. Place the discs on a plate, pour/drizzle sauce over the top and sprinkle coriander leaves over the dish.
• Sauce: *(this is also a good dipping sauce for rice paper rolls, wontons etc).
• Add oil to small saucepan (note: I use spray oil) and sauté capsicum, garlic and chilli until the capsicum is soft.
• Add the fish sauce, vinegar and sugar to the saucepan. Cook until sauce starts to thicken, being careful not to burn.