If you're yearning for a dish that combines the bold flavors of the Mediterranean with the tender texture of calamari, look no further than this spicy calamari with fregola recipe. This delectable dish tantalizes the taste buds with its vibrant blend of spices, offering a heat level that is both satisfying and approachable. The calamari is expertly cooked to maintain its soft and juicy texture, while the fregola provides a delightful nutty flavor and chewy contrast. Whether you're a seasoned seafood enthusiast or a curious culinary explorer, this recipe is sure to leave you craving more.
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SPICY CALAMARI WITH FREGOLA
In Sardinia, rustic saucy fish stews are commonly served with fregola, simmered golden nuggets of toasted semolina, hearty and satisfying. A relative of couscous, fregola arrived by ship from nearby Tunisia, became popular and melded into the local cuisine long ago. The little round pellets are the size of a peppercorn, or a bit larger. When cooked, they have a pleasant, slightly chewy texture. Traditionally, fregola is used in vegetable soups as a way to add substance; prepared like a juicy risotto with the concentrated flavor of clams or other shellfish; or served as part of a room-temperature salad. Most Italian stores in the United States carry it, but you may substitute Israeli-style pearl couscous, which has a similar flavor.
Provided by David Tanis
Categories dinner, lunch, grains and rice, seafood, soups and stews, main course
Time 30m
Yield 4 to 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Spread the calamari on a baking sheet and pat dry as best you can with paper towels. Season generously with salt and pepper.
- Put 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large, wide skillet over high heat. Add calamari and quickly stir-fry, cooking for only 1 minute, until puffed. Remove from pan with slotted spoon and set aside.
- Return pan to stove, reduce heat to medium-high and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add crushed red pepper, anchovy and garlic and let sizzle, then add onions and stir well.
- Season onions generously and cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes, until softened and faintly colored. Add saffron and wine and simmer for 1 minute, then add tomato and broth. Adjust heat so sauce simmers gently for about 10 minutes, until flavors are well mingled. Taste for salt and hot pepper.
- Meanwhile, bring 4 cups salted water to a boil. Add fregola and cook until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and keep warm.
- Add par-cooked calamari to the sauce over high heat. Add basil leaves and stir well until everything is heated through and calamari are completely cooked, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a warm serving bowl and fold in cooked fregola. Sprinkle with oregano, add a drizzle of olive oil, if desired, and serve.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 348, UnsaturatedFat 5 grams, Carbohydrate 35 grams, Fat 8 grams, Fiber 3 grams, Protein 30 grams, SaturatedFat 1 gram, Sodium 766 milligrams, Sugar 4 grams
FRIED CALAMARI WITH SPICY RED SAUCE
Provided by Food Network
Categories appetizer
Time 1h5m
Yield 4 to 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 17
Steps:
- Add the olive oil to a medium pot over medium heat. Once it's hot, add the onions and garlic and cook until the onions are translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomato paste and red pepper flakes and stir until the tomato paste is thoroughly incorporated. Add the crushed tomatoes to a food mill and process the tomatoes directly into the pot. Add the grated carrots and season with kosher salt. Reduce to low heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Adjust the seasoning as needed. Cover and put aside to keep warm.
- Heat the canola oil in a large Dutch oven or large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat to 350 degrees F. Line a sheet tray with paper towels.
- Add the rice flour, semolina flour, pepper and 2 teaspoons kosher salt to a large shallow dish and mix until thoroughly combined. Working in 3 batches, toss the calamari, pickled pepper slices and rosemary sprigs in the seasoned flour, then scoop them out with a pasta spider and shake off the excess; transfer to the oil. Fry for 90 seconds, then remove to the paper towels and season with flaky sea salt. Repeat until all the calamari is cooked.
- Serve with the lemon wedges and spicy marinara on the side.
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.
SPICY SAUTEED CALAMARI OVER PASTA
I found this recipe on eastvillagekitchen.com and made it with my wife. It came out so good I had to add to my cookbook. If you like Fra Diavolo you'll love this! The version we just made was a little too spicy - I might try cutting down on the red pepper next time - but it was still really delicious. Great over pasta, or on its own as an appetizer (double the serving count for appetizer).
Provided by Chef Remy 186273
Categories Spaghetti
Time 30m
Yield 4 dishes, 4 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Give the squid a good rinse after you cut them into 1/2 inch rings. Be sure to drain out the rinse water in a strainer.
- Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a wok or shallow saute pan.
- Add chopped garlic to the oil and cook until the garlic begins to become translucent or browns up a little.
- Add the calamari.
- Add tomato paste, red pepper, salt, pepper,
- Saute on medium heat for 8 minutes.
- Add a handful of italian parsley.
- Saute on medium heat for 2 more minutes.
- Serve with some additional parsley over pasta.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 193.2, Fat 9.1, SaturatedFat 1.5, Cholesterol 264.2, Sodium 178.4, Carbohydrate 9.5, Fiber 1.9, Sugar 2.4, Protein 19
SPICY AND GREASY RHODE ISLAND CALAMARI
Rhode Island-style calamari, which has hot cherry peppers in the dredging mix, is a local favorite. Look for medium-size fresh or frozen squid (about eight to a pound) for frying.
Provided by Jasper White
Categories Appetizer Seafood Squid Deep-Fry Pescatarian Tree Nut Free Soy Free No Sugar Added
Yield Makes 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 16
Steps:
- Working Ahead:
- The squid can be cleaned (if necessary) and cut in the morning, then covered and refrigerated. The fry mix can also be made early in the day.
- Cut squid bodies into 1/2″ rings and put in a colander set over a bowl; add whole tentacles. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use (up to 6 hours).
- Fry Mix:
- Combine cornstarch, flour, cornmeal, salt, and both peppers in a large bowl and whisk well. Refrigerate if not using within an hour or two to prevent humidity from changing the mixture.
- Line a baking sheet with paper towels. Heat 3" of oil in a 4-quart Dutch oven over medium heat (or in a deep fryer) until it registers 360° on a deep-fry thermometer.
- While oil is heating, pour buttermilk into a large bowl and drop squid into it. Stir with a Chinese wire-mesh skimmer to coat, then lift about half of squid pieces from buttermilk, allowing excess buttermilk to drip back into bowl, and drop pieces into the dry mix. Rinse and dry the wire skimmer. Toss pieces to coat evenly with the mix, then lift them out with skimmer, gently shake off excess fry mix, and transfer to a plate. Bread remaining squid. Rinse and dry skimmer.
- Heat a 10″-12″sauté pan over medium heat and add butter. Once it melts, add garlic and sauté until golden. Add drained cherry peppers and toss to combine. Turn heat down to low while you fry squid.
- When the oil is hot, carefully drop half the squid pieces into oil. If any of the pieces stick to the bottom of the pot, loosen with tongs. Turn squid occasionally to cook evenly; it will only take about 1 1/2 minutes until they are crisp and golden.
- Fry remaining squid and drain.
- Add all of fried squid to the hot pan with the garlic and sliced peppers, sprinkle with chopped parsley, and quickly and gently toss (only twice). Divide among 4 small plates and serve immediately.
SPICY FRIED CALAMARI WITH LEMON AIOLI
I'd been looking for a good spicy calamari recipe for some time when I stumbled across this recipe from the Global Gourmet. It's wooooonderful.
Provided by jeniwan
Categories Squid
Time 20m
Yield 6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- For the Calamari place the flour and Cajun spice mix in a large bowl and mix. Add the squid and turn until all the pieces are thoroughly coated. Shake off the excess mixture.
- In a large, heavy pot or deep-fryer over medium heat, heat the oil to 375°F or until almost smoking.
- Fry the squid for 2 to 3 minutes, or until a light golden brown.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain.
- Serve immediately with lemon or lime wedges and Lemon Aioli.
- For the Lemon Aioli place the zest, juice, mustard, garlic, egg yolks, pepper, salt, and bread in a blender or food processor and puree to a smooth paste.
- With the machine running, drizzle in the oil. If the aioli appears too thick, add 2 tablespoons of water at a time to adjust the consistency. Store in an airtight jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 687.5, Fat 73.6, SaturatedFat 10.5, Cholesterol 62.9, Sodium 254.3, Carbohydrate 7.2, Fiber 0.5, Sugar 0.3, Protein 1.9
Tips:
- For the best flavor, use fresh calamari. If you're using frozen calamari, thaw it completely before cooking.
- Be sure to clean the calamari thoroughly before cooking. Remove the head, tentacles, and ink sac. Score the body of the calamari in a criss-cross pattern to help it cook evenly.
- Don't overcook the calamari. It should be cooked until it is opaque and tender, but not chewy. Overcooked calamari will be tough and rubbery.
- Fregola is a Sardinian pasta that is similar to couscous. It is made from semolina flour and is toasted before being cooked. Fregola can be cooked in boiling water or broth, or it can be added to soups and stews.
- This dish is best served immediately after it is made. The calamari will toughen if it is reheated.
Conclusion:
This spicy calamari with fregola is a delicious and easy-to-make dish that is perfect for a quick weeknight meal. The calamari is tender and flavorful, and the fregola is cooked to perfection. The spicy tomato sauce adds a nice kick of heat to the dish. Overall, this is a great recipe that is sure to please everyone at your table.
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