Do you recognize this particular pasta format? It’s calamarata, widely used in Campanian cuisine! It lends itself very well to quick and tasty sauces such as swordfish ragù. Are you wondering if it has something in common with paccheri? You’re not entirely off track: in Neapolitan, calamarata is known as mezzi paccheri. In addition to being a pasta format, it is also a condiment whose main ingredient, needless to say, is squid. Cut into thick rings about a couple of centimeters, it is practically similar to the pasta format. Thanks to our very original way of serving calamarata, it could easily represent a dish for special occasions, parties or to surprise your guests. In fact, the foil serves to preserve the aromas that will emanate from the package by delighting guests. Prepare the delicious calamarata with us: and enjoy your meal!
Calamarata
Ingredients
Calamarata – 400g
Squid (cleaned) – 600g
Garlic – 1 clove
Fresh chilli pepper – 1
Parsley – 1 sprig
Cherry tomatoes -400g
White wine – 60g
Triple concentrated tomato paste – 25g
Salt – to taste
Black pepper – to taste
Extra virgin olive oil – q.b.
Calories in Calamarata
Difficulty: Easy
Preparation: 40 min
Cooking: 30 min
Serving for: 4 people
Cost: High
Preparation
How to prepare Calamarata
To prepare the calamarata, start with the garlic: you can peel it easily by pressing with the palm of your hand before removing the skin 1. For the fresh chilli pepper, you can use it with seeds or alternatively remove them if you prefer less spiciness 2, before finely chopping 3.
Wash the cherry tomatoes, dry them and divide them into 4 parts 4. Now take care of cleaning the squid. They should be first rinsed under running water 5, then the internal part pulled off by pulling the head. From the latter, remove the white part with the cartilage; from the head, remove the eyes and squeeze the beak placed in the center 6.
Remove the skin using a peeler 7 and finally, rinse again before cutting into large rings about 2 cm thick 8. Move to the stovetop; put plenty of salted water to boil in a pan and cook the pasta. In the meantime, heat the oil in a pan with the garlic clove and chopped chilli pepper 9.
As soon as the bottom is very hot, increase the temperature and sauté the squid rings 10. When they are sealed, just a few seconds, deglaze with white wine and wait for the alcohol to completely evaporate 11. Then remove the garlic, add cherry tomatoes and tomato paste 12.
Mix, adjust the salt 13 and then lower the flame, let everything cook for about ten minutes. At the end of cooking, sprinkle with chopped parsley 14. Meanwhile, you can cook the pasta until half-cooked 15.
As soon as the pasta is cooked, take a ladle of cooking water and pour it into the pan 16 then drain the calamarata and dunk it in the pan 17. Mix for a few moments and add water as needed so that the mixture is liquid but not detached 18.
On a sheet of aluminum foil, put another sheet but of parchment paper 19, place a couple of ladles of pasta in the middle 20 and fold up the parchment paper first 21 and then the aluminum foil 22. Arrange the packets on a baking sheet 23 and bake in a preheated oven at 200°C for about 10 minutes. Your calamarata is now ready to be served 24!
Storage
It is preferable to consume calamarata immediately, otherwise, the taste, aroma, and even the texture will tend to spoil. However, it is possible to keep it for a couple of days in the refrigerator. If you prefer, you can prepare the seasoning in advance, as mentioned before, it would be advisable not to leave the seasoning ready for too long without using it with the pasta. Freezing is not recommended.
Tips
To make the calamarata even more flavorful, you can use tomato puree that will also make the sauce creamier! With the double foil, you will have a still very liquid sauce, as the aluminum will prevent the liquids from evaporating during cooking in the oven! Calamarata is also a tasty idea for your Christmas menu!