# Calamari Ripieni (Stuffed Calamari)

A nostalgic Southern Italian dish featuring fresh calamari stuffed with a flavorful mixture of tentacles, garlic, anchovies, olives, capers, breadcrumbs, and pecorino cheese, braised in a rich tomato and white wine sauce.

- Total time: 30 min
- Cuisine: Italian
- Category: Soup
- Language: en

## Ingredients

- fresh calamari
- extra virgin olive oil
- garlic
- anchovy
- Calabrian chili
- salt
- pepper
- parsley
- Castelvetrano olives, chopped
- capers, chopped
- white wine
- breadcrumbs
- pecorino cheese
- tomatoes
- basil, whole
- lemon zest

## Instructions

1. Dice the calamari tentacles.
2. Build the filling by heating extra virgin olive oil, garlic, anchovy, and Calabrian chili until melted.
3. Sear the diced calamari tentacles in the aromatized oil with salt, pepper, and parsley.
4. Add Castelvetrano olives and capers to the tentacle mixture.
5. Deglaze with a splash of white wine and reduce until almost dry.
6. Cool the tentacle mixture.
7. Mix the cooled tentacle base with parsley and breadcrumbs to create a loose stuffing.
8. Add pecorino cheese, salt, and pepper to the stuffing.
9. Taste the stuffing and adjust seasoning if needed, adding a little more pecorino if desired.
10. Stuff the calamari tubes using a straight tip pastry tip, filling them about three quarters full.
11. Secure the stuffed calamari tubes with toothpicks.
12. Dry the stuffed calamari tubes with paper towels.
13. Sear the stuffed calamari in extra virgin olive oil, turning them with a utensil.
14. Season the searing calamari with salt and pepper.
15. Add the remaining tentacles, more olive oil, Calabrian chili, and smashed garlic to the pan and sear until caramelized.
16. Add tomatoes, white wine, and whole basil to the pan.
17. Braise the calamari for about 30 minutes until tender, maintaining a light simmer.

## Equipment

- pastry tip
- toothpicks
- pan
- paper towels

## Tips

- Dice calamari tentacles for the stuffing.
- Sear calamari tentacles in aromatized oil for bold flavor.
- Cool the tentacle mixture before mixing with breadcrumbs for the stuffing.
- Ensure the stuffing is loose, not dense, to prevent bursting and allow it to absorb juices.
- Stuff calamari tubes about three quarters full to prevent them from bursting during cooking.
- Use a straight tip pastry tip to easily stuff calamari tubes.
- Secure calamari tubes with toothpicks.
- Dry calamari tubes with paper towels before searing to ensure proper searing and prevent sticking.
- When braising, maintain a light simmer, do not boil, to prevent the calamari from splitting open.

## Source

- Original video: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DXzeg_XSXhT/?igsh=c2FjaWN1bG1manNn
- Recipe page: https://www.cliprecipe.com/recipe/446c4a2c-b315-423a-aa7c-af2306d62431
- Extracted: 2026-05-03

Extracted from the video by Clip Recipe (https://www.cliprecipe.com). Quantities and steps are as stated or shown in the video. Site guide for agents: https://www.cliprecipe.com/llms.txt