Stuffed calamari 

A Sicilian fish dish that everyone appreciates in the world for its intense flavor and the scent of the sea on the table. The perfect sauce for bread or to prepare a delicious pasta dish. Stewed stuffed squid are a typical Sicilian dish, based on shellfish whose body has been stuffed with a tasty and delicious mixture, they are prepared at any time of the year and are always appreciated by everyone. This rich and tasty sauce thanks to fish and enriched with olives and salted capers, typical products of Sicilian cuisine, can also be used to prepare a delicious pasta dish, ideal for seasoning tasty rough durum wheat spaghetti, so as to bring to the table a complete and balanced dish suitable for the whole family.

Preparing stuffed squid stewed is very simple, and if you do not have squid available you can use the same recipe to prepare squid, a shellfish with very similar characteristics. If you are not practical to clean the fish you can ask your trusted fishmonger to clean it for you, so as to make the preparation of this dish even faster. If you do not find these fresh shellfish you can opt to buy frozen ones, practical and available in convenient trays in all frozen food counters.

You can prepare the stuffed squid stewed in advance and heat them before sitting at the table, letting the fish rest in the sauce acquires greater flavor enriching even more this dish. You can also slice a good loaf of semolina bread to dip in this magnificent fish sauce.

Ingredients for 4 people

8 small squid

10 green olives

1 blonde onion 

1 cloves of garlic

6 handful of salted capers 

2 can of peeled tomato 

2 tablespoons of fine breadcrumbs 

1 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese 

fresh parsley

ripe tomato 

salt

black pepper 

red chili

oil

Preparation

Clean the squid by removing the head and then clean the inside: remove the entrails, mouth and skin. Take 4 heads and cut the tentacles into small pieces, keep the other 4 heads whole for the sauce. Wash the tomato and cut it into cubes, wash the parsley and chop finely. In a large pan brown the tentacles with a little oil for about 2 minutes. Once cooked, pour them into a bowl, add breadcrumbs, grated cheeses, salt, pepper, tomato, parsley, oil just enough to make the mixture soft. Stuff the body of the squid with the mixture obtained and close the end with a toothpick. Wash the capers under running water to remove the salt, slice the olives into slices. In the pan you have previously used, brown the onion and garlic, add the chilli, olives in slices and capers, let it flavor for a few minutes and add the peeled tomato pulp. Salt lightly and as soon as the sauce has boiled, arrange the stuffed squid and the heads kept aside in the sauce. Cover with a lid and cook the squid over medium heat for about 20-25 minutes, the cooking time varies according to the size of the squid, remembering to prick them from time to time to prevent the shrinking skin from popping them. Serve the hot stewed stuffed squid. And here are the stuffed squid stewed and ready to be enjoyed!