Serves 8
Notes
You can stuff the calamari ahead of time, then just bake at the last minute. Take care not to overfill them, or they may burst as they contract during cooking. Also, make sure not to overcook: the calamari can become tough. This dish is great served family style on platters and is delicious hot out of the oven, but also good served at room temperature. If you are planning an elegant dinner, these calamari become a marvelous appetizer, one per person, when served over grilled polenta.
Ingredients
- Calamari
- 2 cups fine dried bread crumbs
- 1 cup grated Grana Padano
- 2 hard-boiled eggs, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup white wine, or as needed
- 2 pounds medium calamari (about 6 inches long), tubes only
- Sauce
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup drained capers in brine
- 3 cloves garlic, sliced
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 lemon, thinly sliced into half-moons
- 3 anchovy fillets, chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. For the calamari, in a large bowl, combine the bread crumbs, grated cheese, chopped eggs, parsley, olive oil, and salt, and toss to combine. Drizzle in about half of the wine, and toss. Continue to add wine until you’ve got a moist stuffing that clumps together a little when pressed in the palm of your hand.
Loosely fill the calamari with the stuffing. You can seal the larger opening with a toothpick if you want, but it’s not essential.
For the sauce, in a 15-by-10-inch or other large baking dish (you want the calamari to sit in one layer), combine the wine, olive oil, capers, garlic, lemon juice, lemon slices, anchovies, parsley, salt, and red pepper flakes. Arrange the calamari in one layer on top, and spoon some of the juices over. Bake on the bottom rack of the oven for 15 minutes.
Baste the calamari with the pan juices, then continue baking until the calamari are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes more. (Add a little water if the pan juices are in danger of reducing away.) Serve hot, with the juices spooned over the calamari.
