CALAMARI MARINARA

Calamari Marinara image

Calamari has an unfair reputation for being tricky to work with and that it's rubbery when cooked. Here's the secret: cook it in 45 seconds or 45 minutes--very quickly or a long slow simmer. For this marinara dish, I use the long simmer method.

Provided by Chef John

Categories World Cuisine Recipes European Italian

Time 1h11m

Yield 4

Number Of Ingredients 15

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Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow onion, sliced thin
1 serrano chile pepper, sliced thin
3 garlic cloves, crushed or minced
1 anchovy fillet
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
½ cup dry white wine
1 cup clam juice
6 cups crushed or pureed Italian plum tomatoes
½ teaspoon dried oregano
2 pounds frozen calamari (tubes and tentacles), thawed, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
¼ cup freshly chopped Italian parsley
1 tablespoon Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 (16 ounce) package dry pasta

Steps:

Drizzle olive oil into saucepan (not over heat). Add onions, Serrano pepper, garlic, anchovy filet, red pepper flakes, and salt. Place pot over medium-high heat. When onions start to sizzle after a minute or so, stir and cook until onions and garlic just start to turn golden, 3 or 4 minutes. Stir in wine.
Cook until wine is reduced by about half, 3 to 5 minutes. Add clam juice, tomatoes, and oregano. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. When sauce begins to bubble, reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer gently for about 15 minutes.
Transfer calamari to sauce pot; stir gently. Simmer until calamari are tender, 35 to 45 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in parsley.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until tender yet firm to the bite, about 12 minutes. Drain.
Stir some sauce into the hot, drained pasta. Serve in warm bowls topped with more marinara sauce and grated cheese.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 806.4 calories, Carbohydrate 117.8 g, Cholesterol 3.8 mg, Fat 12.2 g, Fiber 11.9 g, Protein 53.4 g, SaturatedFat 1.7 g, Sodium 921.2 mg, Sugar 5.8 g