Spicy Calamari Pasta

Linguine tossed with a quick and spicy tomato sauce and squid

This pasta is a weeknight winner to add the rotation of quick post-work dinners. It starts with a base of spicy tomato sauce, which the squid quickly simmers in before everything gets tossed with linguine. If you don't have much experience eating or cooking with squid, this is a great beginner recipe. The calamari has a similar texture to the al dente pasta and the spicy sauce tempers its flavor without overpowering it. To cook the squid, all you need to do is simmer it in the sauce for five minutes - just make sure not to overcook it or it will turn rubbery! This recipe is adapted from Williams-Sonoma's blog, which I've really been enjoying lately.

Note: You should be able to find squid that's already cleaned in the seafood section of good grocery stores. Buying cleaned squid will save you a ton of time and effort, and you can even ask your fishmonger to cut the bodies into rings for you.


More Calamari Recipes:
- Serrano-Lime Squid & Bok Choy Stir-Fry
- Linguine with Calamari, Shrimp, & Asparagus
- Grilled Japanese-Style Squid


Spicy Calamari Pasta:
Ingredients
- 1 lb. linguine pasta
- 1 lb. calamari, cleaned, bodies sliced into thin rings and tentacles left whole
- 1 small yellow onion, minced
- 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 c. bottled clam juice
- 6 oz. tomato paste
- 1/2 c. white wine
- 1/4 c. olive oil
- 3/4 tsp. red chile flakes
- 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
- handful of minced parsley
- kosher salt

Recipe

• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat and add in the onion, garlic, oregano and red chile flakes.
• Cook, stirring often, for 4-5 minutes, or until softened but not brown.
• Add in the tomato paste and 1/4 tsp. salt and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the paste turns a slightly rusty color.
• Add the wine and let reduce for 2-3 minutes, then add the clam juice, lower to a simmer, and cook for 15-20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil, season with salt, and cook the pasta until al dente.
• During the last 5 minutes that the pasta cooks, add the calamari to the pan with the sauce and cook until opaque.
• Drain the pasta, reserving 1/4 c. pasta cooking liquid, and add the pasta to the sauce.
• Toss everything together, adding pasta water to moisten if needed.
• Check for seasoning and adjust if necessary.
• Divide onto plates and garnish with parsley.

Serves four-five