| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 30 min |
| Prep: | 10 min |
| Cook: | 20 min |
| Yield: | 6 servings |
Ingredients
- Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
- 1 pound clean squid with tentacles, bodies cut into 1/3- to 1/2-inch-thick rings
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons dried parsley
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 lemons, cut into wedges
- 1 cup simple tomato sauce, recipe follows or jarred marinara sauce, warmed
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 stalk celery, chopped
- 1 carrot, chopped
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, optional
Instructions
- Pour enough oil into a heavy large saucepan to reach the depth of 3 inches. Heat over medium heat to 350 degrees F. Mix the flour, parsley, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Working in small batches, toss the squid into the flour mixture to coat. Carefully add the squid to the oil and fry until crisp and very pale golden, about 1 minute per batch. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer the fried calamari to a paper-towel lined plate to drain.
- Place the fried calamari and lemon wedges on a clean plate. Sprinkle with salt. Serve with the marinara sauce.
- In a large casserole pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add celery and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and bay leaves and simmer uncovered on low heat for 1 hour or until thick. Remove bay leaves and check for seasoning. If sauce still tastes acidic, add unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon at a time to round out the flavors.
- Add 1/2 the tomato sauce into the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Continue with remaining tomato sauce.
- If not using all the sauce, allow it to cool completely and pour 1 to 2 cup portions into freezer plastic bags. This will freeze up to 6 months.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 1128 |
| Total Fat | 89 g |
| Saturated Fat | 12 g |
| Carbohydrates | 66 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 10 g |
| Sugar | 17 g |
| Protein | 23 g |
| Cholesterol | 197 mg |
| Sodium | 1405 mg |
Reviews
So easy so delicious I would do it again
I was confused about the contrasting reviews for this recipe but tried it anyway and now understand. I loved it. My daughter thought it had no flavor. So here’s my conclusion. If you love calamari you’ll love this recipe. If you like calamari because you love the flavor of fried bread crumbs and spices you should pass on this recipe.
This couldn’t be my more bland. May as well just use plain flour. I sprinkled a bit some old bay on top to add some flavor and rescue this disaster. I also tried the other top rated recipe on here and same difference.
Love!!!!
Terrific
Disappointing. Absolutely no flavor. Bland both to the eye and taste.
Very light and tasty! My wife LOVES it when I make this! Thanks Giada.
This is absolutely my go-to appetizer. Incredibly easy and light and I love the minimal ingredients. Hands down better than any calimari I’ve had at a restaurant, and I am NOT a terribly experienced cook. Thanks giada!!
Love the recipe and have used it, but I usually try to slice my calamari much thinner.It cooks faster, and doesn’t get rubbery.
I was a little disappointed with this recipe. The batter was a little bland.