Description
This Calamari Pasta Fra Diavolo is a spicy and flavorful Italian seafood dish featuring tender calamari simmered in a vibrant tomato sauce with Calabrian chile paste, garlic, and anchovies, served over linguine or your preferred long pasta. Perfect for a dinner that combines heat and fresh herbs with the rich taste of the sea.
Ingredients
Scale
Sauce and Seafood
- 3–4 Tbsp olive or anchovy oil
- 2 Tbsp minced garlic
- 2–3 anchovy filets
- 1 Tbsp Calabrian chile paste
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
- 1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 2 pounds cleaned calamari, bodies sliced into ½” thick rings
- 1 (28 ounce) can whole tomatoes, hand-crushed
- 1/4 can water
- 1/4 tsp dried basil
- 1/4 tsp dried oregano
- Pinch salt and freshly ground black pepper
Pasta
- 1 pound long pasta, such as linguine, spaghetti or bucatini
- Salt for pasta water
Instructions
- Prepare the flavor base: Combine the olive or anchovy oil, minced garlic, and anchovy filets in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Stir frequently and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes until the anchovies have mostly dissolved into the oil. Then, stir in the Calabrian chile paste, crushed red pepper, and half of the chopped parsley. Cook everything together for an additional 2 minutes to develop the spicy and savory flavors.
- Add calamari and tomatoes: Add the sliced calamari rings to the skillet and sauté them for a couple of minutes until they begin to firm up. Next, pour in the hand-crushed whole tomatoes along with 1/4 of the tomato can filled with water. Add dried basil, dried oregano, a pinch of salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Gently stir to combine all the ingredients thoroughly.
- Simmer the sauce: Cover the pan and bring the mixture to a light boil, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Once boiling, remove the cover and reduce the heat to a light simmer. Let it cook uncovered for 40 to 45 minutes, stirring regularly so the sauce doesn’t stick or thicken too much. Add a little water if the sauce becomes too thick, and cook until the calamari are very tender.
- Cook the pasta: While the sauce simmers, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook it for 2 minutes less than the package instructions indicate, about 2 minutes before al dente, to allow it to finish cooking in the sauce. Reserve at least 1 cup of the starchy pasta water before draining.
- Combine pasta and sauce: Transfer the cooked pasta to the skillet with the sauce, adding about ½ cup of the reserved pasta water. Toss well to coat the pasta evenly, allowing it to absorb the flavors as it finishes cooking in the sauce. Add more pasta water if needed to achieve the desired consistency. Adjust the seasoning with salt and black pepper to taste. Finally, fold in the remaining chopped parsley, turn off the heat, and serve immediately.
Notes
- Calabrian chile paste adds unique smoky heat; substitute with red pepper flakes if unavailable but adjust quantity to taste.
- Using anchovy oil or fillets deepens umami flavor, but you can omit for a milder taste.
- Reserve pasta water to help loosen the sauce and better coat the pasta.
- Simmering the calamari for 40-45 minutes makes them tender; adjust timing as needed depending on the freshness and size of calamari.
- Use fresh flat-leaf parsley for a bright herbal finish.
