Name: Italian Calamari Sauce
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 2-pound calamari with tentacles; 4 cloves of minced garlic; 1 stalk celery finely minced; 1 carrot grated; 1/2 cup Italian parsley chopped; 1 small minced onion; 1 - 28-ounce can of the whole tomato chopped in juice or 2 pounds of plum skinned and chopped; 1/2 cup dry red wine (we use cabernet); 1/4 cup clam juice; 1 teaspoon dry oregano; 4 large fresh basil leaves torn; 1 piece of lemon zest around 2 inches long; pinch of sugar; 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil; salt and pepper to taste; Optional: for a thick sauce add 2 tablespoons of tomato paste in the saute step.; Garnish: Grated Pecorino Romano cheese and red pepper flakes; Serve over your favorite pasta or with hard-crusted Italian bread.

This Italian Calamari Sauce is one of the best vintage recipes we usually make around the Christmas Holiday season.

Today we made it with the addition of calamari rings with tender tentacles cooked in a rich wine tomato sauce, very easy to prepare and full of Italian garlicky flavors.

Served over your favorite cooked pasta, or rice or just served with Italian bread, this is a quick sauce that is adored by any seafood lover.

My late grandmother's recipe for this calamari sauce is most asked for on Christmas Eve as part of the 7 Fishes in our family, however, is typically served in warmer weather seasons since it's a perfect light meal.

The ingredients are bursting with fresh herbs and garlic of course, and a good-tasting drinking red wine added with chunky tomatoes.

For a little heat added to your sauce, just add some crushed red pepper flakes to spice it up.

If you're a big fan of calamari in red sauce, this is a great recipe for you to add to your collection.

Scroll down to get this easily printable recipe with step-by-step instructions.

this is a pot of calamari sauce for pasta

Easy Step-by-Step for Calamari Sauce

saute the vegetables
stir in the tomatoes and wine with seasoning and herbs
simmer 25 minutes
add calamari last for 3 to 5 minutes
do not overcook

This sauce is perfect for delicious homemade bread you like to sop up that fabulous sauce with crusty bread.

Below you will find even more substitutions to change out the seafood for, however, remember your cooking times will vary, always make sure the meat you choose is cooked thoroughly.

Add more or less spice for heat to your own taste and adapt the recipe to your own style.

Other Substitutions

chunks of white fish like sea bass
chunks of Mahi-mahi
chunks of haddock
crab meat or lobster
extra large cleaned and deveined shrimp
mussels or clams still in the shells
large scallops

Tips

use any kind of red wine or chicken broth for non-alcohol
calamari is cooked quickly do not overcook check at 4 minutes for tenderness
don't brown garlic, it should be light in color
cook any kind of pasta you like or rice for a side dish
use only good-grade tomatoes like San Marzano or for best results use fresh plum tomatoes
taste the sauce to ensure enough salt and pepper to taste are to your liking
oven method: oil spray a cast-iron saucepan add the olive oil and saute the vegetables. Add everything else except the calamari add 5 minutes before the sauce is done.

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Pin for later

Calamari Italian Style Sauce

This Italian calamari sauce can be served over rice, pasta, or just with a big piece of hard-crusted bread to dip into this delectable sauce.

It's super easy and takes less than 30 minutes for the whole meal!

Let us know how you like our version of this recipe I have been making for over 35 years and my grandmother's recipe from the 1950s!

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fish recipes, seafood recipes, calamari recipes

Italian

Yield: 10

Author: Claudia Lamascolo