Calamari Marinara

Chef John's Italian calamari marinara simmers long and slow for a rich sauce and tender calamari. He suggests serving it over squid ink pasta.

• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Cooking Time: 56 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 11 mins
• Calories: 806 Calories

Ingredients

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

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

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.

Step 2

Drizzle olive oil into a saucepan. Add onions, chile pepper, garlic, anchovy filet, red pepper flakes, and salt; place over medium-high heat. Stir and cook until onions and garlic just start to turn golden, 3 or 4 minutes.

Step 3

Stir in wine and simmer until wine is reduced by about half, 3 to 5 minutes. Add clam juice, tomatoes, and oregano. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer gently for about 15 minutes.

Step 4

Gently stir in calamari and simmer until tender, 35 to 45 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in parsley.

Step 5

Stir some sauce into the hot, drained pasta. Serve in warm bowls topped with more marinara sauce and grated cheese.