This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Italian Stuffed Calamari Recipe in Tomato Sauce- this whole calamari is filled with savory bread stuffing and slowly simmered in a light tomato sauce. They are tender and delicate. Buon appetito!
Delicious with Creamy Polenta! More Italian seafood recipes Shrimp Scampi Pasta, Salmon Piccata, Squid Ink Pasta Recipe with Shrimp and Cherry Tomato Sauce, Crispy Baked Cod, Lobster Ravioli Sauce with Brown Butter, and Crispy Calamari Air Fryer Recipe.
Italian Stuffed Calamari Recipe in Tomato Sauce (Calamari Ripieni)
Italian Stuffed Calamari is a classic Italian recipe for making tender and tasty stuffed squid
This stuffed calamari recipe (calamari ripieni) is a family favorite and specialty of Southern Italy. We love to make this dish in Sardegna at our family beach home since the calamari is always super fresh. It’s one of those easy recipes you can make at home!
Serve it family-style with crusty bread, and enjoy!
Stuffed Calamari in Tomato Sauce is perfect for your Christmas Eve fish and seafood dinner. Or, enjoy it any time of the year as we do.
Table of Contents
- Italian Stuffed Calamari Recipe in Tomato Sauce (Calamari Ripieni)
- Simple Ingredients
- How to Make Italian Stuffed Calamari Recipe in Tomato Sauce (Step-by-Step Photo Instructions)
- Variations to Stuffing Mixture
- What to serve with Stuffed Calamari
- Top Tips
- FAQs
- Italian Stuffed Calamari Recipe in Tomato Sauce Recipe
Simple Ingredients
- Calamari with tentacles
For the filling:
- Tentacles
- Olive oil
- Garlic, minced
- Freshly chopped parsley
- White wine
- Bread crumbs from day-old or stale bread
- Freshly grated Parmigiano cheese
- Freshly grated Pecorino cheese
- Large egg
- Salt and Balck Pepper to taste
For the tomato sauce
- Olive oil
- Garlic Clove
- Dried red pepper flakes
- Tomato passata (tomato purée), or crushed canned tomatoes
- Salt to taste
See the recipe card for quantities.
*Note on cheese and seafood: We typically do not add cheese to fish or seafood in Italy. For example, we do not add freshly grated parmigiano cheese to Seafood Pasta with Red Sauce with grated cheese. The cheese overpowers the fresh seafood.
In this case, we are breaking the rule ;)! Adding Pecorino and Parmigiano cheese to the filling adds a delicious salty flavor that works well with the bread filling.
Read why you should Grate Your Own Cheese!
How to Make Italian Stuffed Calamari Recipe in Tomato Sauce (Step-by-Step Photo Instructions)
Clean the Calamari
Rinse the calamari. Run water through the tube and drain it. Pat dry with paper towels.
With a sharp knife, chop off the tentacles, finely chop them, and place them in a bowl.
Prepare Stuffed Calamari Filling
Heat olive oil in a large frying pan with medium-high heat and add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Heat until the garlic is just beginning to give off its aroma (1-2 minutes).
Add the tentacles and stir.
Add wine and let simmer for a few minutes—season with salt and pepper. Turn off the heat and set aside to cool.
Add the bread crumbs, egg, cheese, and parsley in a medium bowl. Stir to combine.
When the sauteed tentacles have completely cooled, add them to the breadcrumb mixture.
Use a fork to combine the breadcrumbs and sauteed calamari. Set aside.
How to Stuff Calamari Tubes
Use your fingers, a pastry bag with a broad tip, or a small spoon to stuff the calamari with the filling.
Be sure to press down to fill the bottom end of the calamari. Leave about an inch of space at the top since the filling will expand while cooking and may come out of the top. Secure the open end with a toothpick.
Cook Calamari in Tomato Sauce
In a large saute pan with medium-high heat (large pan enough to fit all the squid in one layer), sauté a garlic clove and red pepper flakes in olive oil.
Add the stuffed squid and turn them in the oil until they turn an opaque white (about 1 minute on each side).
Add the tomato puree and salt, stir to mix it thoroughly into the cooking juices, and cover. Lower the heat.
Let the squid braise in a slow simmer until tender, about 30 minutes (or longer if your squid is very large).
Transfer to a serving platter and serve warm with crusty bread! Don’t forget to remove the toothpicks.
Variations to Stuffing Mixture
You can vary the filling to the stuffed calamari to change it up a bit. Here are some options for you.
- Add a tablespoon of chopped pine nuts and raisins. This variation is common in some recipes.
- Add fresh basil to the tomato sauce if desired.
- Use cherry tomatoes or fresh tomatoes to make the tomato-based sauce.
- Use a bit of chopped shrimp in the filling.
What to serve with Stuffed Calamari
In Italy, we don’t serve meat or fish course with pasta. Pasta is the first course, and the stuffed calamari served with a simple vegetable side dish is the second course. You can, of course, serve it to your preference!
Top Tips
- Do not fill the calamari to the top of the open end. Leave about an inch of space, as the filling will expand during cooking.
FAQs
Calamari turns tough and rubbery only when overcooked. The trick to a tender and soft texture is to cook it quickly over high heat or slowly over low, whether sauteing, roasting, stir-frying, grilling, or even deep-frying.
Calamari and squid are the same things. Calamari is another name for squid meat (Italian name). Calamari includes both the body and tentacles of the squid. That is what we use in this Italian Stuffed Calamari Recipe.
More delicious recipes-
- Fried Butterfly Shrimp Recipe (Easy and Crunchy)
- Best Italian Style Stuffed Peppers
- Classic Lobster Bisque Recipe (Easy)
- Stuffed Salmon Recipe with Shrimp and Crab
- Italian Braciole Recipe (Stuffed Beef with Sauce)
- Pan Seared Chilean Sea Bass With Lemon Butter Herb Sauce
- Squid Ink Pasta Recipe with Shrimp and Cherry Tomato Sauce
- Baked Stuffed Clams
Italian Stuffed Calamari Recipe in Tomato Sauce
Italian Stuffed Calamari Recipe in Tomato Sauce- this whole calamari are filled with savory bread stuffing and slowly simmered in a light tomato sauce. They are tender and delicate. Buon appetito!
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 2 lbs calamari cleaned, with tentacles (about 8 calamari)
For the filling:
- Tentacles saved from cleaned calamari, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley
- 1 tablespoon white wine
- 2 cups fresh bread crumbs from day-old bread
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano cheese
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino cheese
- 1 large egg
- Salt and Balck Pepper to taste
For the tomato sauce
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 clove garlic smashed
- 1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
- 250 gr tomato passata (tomato purée), or crushed canned tomatoes
- salt to taste
Instructions
Prepare Calamari:
- Rinse the calamari. Run water through the tube and drain it. Pat dry with paper towels.
- With a sharp knife, chop off the tentacles, finely chop them, and place them in a bowl.
Make Filling:
- Heat olive oil in a large frying pan with medium-high heat and add the minced garlic. When the garlic is just beginning to give off its aroma (1-2 minutes), add the tentacles and stir. Add wine and let simmer for a few minutes—season with salt and pepper. Then, take off the heat and let it cool.
- Add the bread, egg, cheese, and parsley to a medium mixing bowl and stir to combine.
- When the tentacles are completely cooled, add to the bread crumb mixture and stir to combine.
Stuff Calamari:
- Use your fingers, a pastry bag with a broad tip, or a small spoon to stuff the calamari with the filling.
- Be sure to press down to fill the bottom end of the calamari. Leave about an inch of space at the top since the filling will expand while cooking and may come out of the top. Secure the open end with a toothpick. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.
Prepare Sauce and Cook Stuffed Calamari:
- In a large saute pan with medium-high heat (large pan enough to fit all the squid in one layer), sauté a garlic clove and red pepper flakes in olive oil. When it is just beginning to brown, remove it.
Add the stuffed squid and turn them in the oil until they turn an opaque white (about 1 minute on each side). - Add the tomato puree and salt, stir to mix it thoroughly into the cooking juices, and cover. Lower the heat. Let the squid braise in a slow simmer until tender, about 30 minutes (or longer if your squid is very large).
- Transfer to a serving platter and serve warm with crusty bread! Don’t forget to remove the toothpicks.
- Category: Savory
- Method: Italian
- Cuisine: Italian
These were awesome. I had some of the stuffing left over and used it to make stuffed mushroom caps. Two for the price of one. Great recipe.
Love when there is a little left! Sounds yummy in mushrooms.
I put chopped shrimp, crabmeat and the tentacles in my stuffing. Will they cook in the Calamari?? I’m baking them slowly. Thank you
Yes! That will be fine.
Hello~ can the calamari be stuffed beforehand to save some time the morning of Christmas?
Yes! You can stuff and refrigerate and cook the morning you need.
I love how the stuffed calamari gets tender in the tomato sauce! Great recipe.
The most flavorful stuffed calamari recipe!