Hold the pasta shells; hold the cannelloni; hold the ravioli. And while you’re at it, hold the laboriously-handcrafted Paleo pasta too, unless you’re looking for a way to flex your culinary muscles because calamari is swooping into the rescue as a better “something-to-stuff.”
Baked in a rich tomato sauce and flavored with plenty of herbs and garlic, it’s an ideal Paleo answer to any kind of stuffed-pasta craving.
If you’ve never had calamari, it’s a type of seafood, and it’s completely delicious, most famously breaded and fried as an appetizer.
The taste is pretty mild: it’s definitely seafood, but it’s not in-your-face about it. Now that you’ve read the “delicious” part, calamari is squid. Yes, it has tentacles. Don’t worry; they’re chopped up so small they’re not tentacle-y at all.
In this recipe, you’ll be stuffing the hollow body of the calamari with red peppers, kale, onions, and the finely-chopped tentacles. If you like, you can also substitute spinach for kale.
Then just stuff, bake and enjoy: the actual preparation is very simple, and after the calamari are done simmering away in the rich tomato broth, they’re sure to drive any cravings for stuffed pasta shells right out of your head.
Stuffed Calamari Recipe
Serves: 4 Prep: 20 min Cook: 40 min
Ingredients
- 4 large calamari with tentacles;
- 5 oz. kale washed and chopped;
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped;
- 2 cloves garlic, minced;
- 1 onion, minced;
- 2 tbsp. fresh parsley, finely chopped;
- 1 tsp. dried oregano;
- 14 oz. tomato puree;
- Cooking fat;
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper;
Preparation
- Separate the calamari tentacles from the bodies. Finely chop the tentacles, and set them aside.
- Melt some cooking fat in a skillet placed over medium heat and sauté the garlic and onions.
- Add the bell pepper and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chopped tentacles and cook for another 5 to 8 minutes.
- Add the kale to the skillet and cook, frequently stirring, until the kale has softened; then remove the mixture from the heat.
- Fill up each calamari with an equal amount of the filling, and close them up with toothpicks.
- Now over medium-high heat, melt some more cooking fat in the same skillet.
- Add the stuffed calamari to the skillet and brown all sides, about 2 minutes per side.
- Pour the tomato puree into the saucepan. Add the parsley oregano, season with salt and pepper to taste, and give everything a gentle stir.
- Lower the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 35 to 40 minutes.
- Adjust the seasoning and serve.
📖 Recipe
Stuffed Calamari Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 large calamari with tentacles
- 5 oz. kale washed and chopped
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 onion minced
- 2 tbsp. fresh parsley finely chopped
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- 14 oz. tomato puree
- Cooking fat
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Separate the calamari tentacles from the bodies. Finely chop the tentacles, and set them aside.4 large calamari with tentacles
- Melt some cooking fat in a skillet placed over medium heat and sauté the garlic and onions.2 cloves garlic, Cooking fat, 1 onion
- Add the bell pepper and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chopped tentacles and cook for another 5 to 8 minutes.1 red bell pepper
- Add the kale to the skillet and cook, frequently stirring, until the kale has softened then remove the mixture from the heat.5 oz. kale washed and chopped
- Fill up each calamari with an equal amount of the filling, and close them up with toothpicks.
- Now over medium-high heat, melt some more cooking fat in the same skillet.
- Add the stuffed calamari to the skillet and brown all sides, about 2 minutes per side.
- Pour the tomato puree into the saucepan. Add the parsley oregano, season with salt and pepper to taste, and give everything a gentle stir.2 tbsp. fresh parsley, 1 tsp. dried oregano, 14 oz. tomato puree, Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Lower the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 35 to 40 minutes.
- Adjust the seasoning and serve.
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