Stuffed Calamari

By blum099

Most familiar as deep-fried rings, calamari are also delicious left whole and stuffed with a tasty bread-crumb fi lling. Buy large calamari, which are easier to fill than small ones. Don't stuff them more than halfway, since they tend to shrink as they cook. They are good over polenta or spaghetti.

Ingredients

• 12 large (about 6 inches long) cleaned calamari with tentacles
• (1/12 pounds total)
• 1/3 cup fresh bread crumbs made from Italian or French bread
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons rinsed, drained, and chopped capers
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 28-ounce can tomato puree

Details

Servings 4

Preparation

Step 1

Rinse the squid well inside and out and make sure the insides have been thoroughly
cleaned.
Very finely chop the tentacles and scrape them into a bowl. Add the bread crumbs, cheese, half of the garlic, half of the parsley, the capers, and salt and pepper
to taste. Add 2 tablespoons of the oil and stir until well blended.
Pat the calamari dry. With a small spoon, stuff each with a heaping teaspoon of the stuffing mixture. Don't add more or the filling will burst out as the calamari
cook. With toothpicks, pin the calamari closed.
In a large skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Add the calamari and brown on one side. Turn the calamari, add the remaining garlic, and brown on the other side. Transfer the calamari to the slow cooker.
Add the tomato puree and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook on low for 2 hours, or until the squid are tender when pierced with a fo rk. Remove the toothpicks. Sprinkle the calamari with the remaining parsley and serve hot.