Italian Stuffed Calamari Recipe

This Italian Stuffed Calamari Recipe is a seafood superstar - tender calamari, stuffed with parmesan seasoned bread and herbs and braised in a savory red sauce. Served over pasta or polenta, it's the perfect Christmas Eve or Sunday Supper meal.

Stuffed calamari is a simple dish to prepare but it has a huge flavor payoff. My favorite way to serve it is by slicing the calamari tubes, showing off the tender seafood and the flavorful stuffing, then piling it on creamy polenta with the flavorful red sauce, fresh basil and parmesan.

For more Italian seafood favorites for the holidays (or anytime of year!) check out my Italian Baked Black Cod, Seafood Pasta with White Wine Sauce or Sautéed Calamari with Garlic and Chili.

What you'll need to make this delicious recipe:

Before we get into the step by step instructions, a few notes about ingredients:

Sauce: the recipe includes instructions for making a simple but flavorful red sauce for braising the stuffed calamari. If you're short on time, or have a quality jar of red sauce you love, feel free to use instead.

Bread crumbs: for a gluten-free recipe, use gluten free bread to make your crumbs. Then serve over gluten-free polenta or pasta for a fabulous celebration meal.

Calamari: use fresh or frozen calamari in this recipe. If using frozen, thaw in the refrigerator overnight (or at least a few hours) before rinsing and stuffing. If you've bought your calamari in the US, the tubes are likely already cleaned of anything inedible, but if you need help, consult this thorough discussion on How to Clean Calamari on The Spruce Eats.

How to Prepare Stuffed Calamari

1. Assemble the Sauce

Heat a deep sauté pan (not a cast iron skillet) over medium heat and add olive oil, garlic and red pepper flakes. Sauté until garlic is fragrant and tender, but not browned. Add white wine and simmer for about 2 minutes, then add tomato puree and a teaspoon of coarse kosher salt.

Stir to combine and allow the sauce to return to a simmer for 8-10 minutes. Add butter and a sprig of fresh basil, then taste and adjust seasoning. 

2. Prepare the Seafood

Cut the tentacles off each calamari tube, and dice the tentacles finely. Set the tubes aside. 

3. Make Stuffing

Saute minced garlic, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes in olive oil for 3-4 minutes. Add the diced calamari tentacles, and cook for another minute.

Remove from heat and add breadcrumbs, Parmesan, lemon zest, diced flat leaf parsley and basil. Stir to combine well.

Once the stuffing mixture has cooled a bit, add the well beaten egg. 

Fill each calamari tube up to ½ inch from the top opening to prevent your squid tubes from overflowing while they cook. Use a toothpick to thread the top closed. 

I found that it is helpful to fill a pastry bag with a wide tip or a simple plastic baggie, and pipe the filling into the calamari tubes. You can also use your fingers or a small spoon to stuff the seafood.

4. Gently Cook Calamari

Nestle the stuffed calamari tubes into the sauce, ensuring they are submerged.

Cover and simmer on low for 35-40 minutes, or until calamari is cooked through and tender. 

5. Garnish and Serve

Remove toothpicks before serving. I like to slice the stuffed calamari tubes and serve them over pasta or creamy polenta. Always garnish with extra red sauce, Parmesan cheese and fresh basil.

Can I bake stuffed calamari?

You can follow all the instructions up to adding the stuffed calamari tubes to the pan of red sauce. At this point, pour the red sauce into a baking dish. Nestle the calamari into the sauce, ensuring they're covered. Wrap the dish in foil and bake in a preheated oven at 350℉ for about 45 minutes.

What to serve with calamari?

Italian main courses are delicious with a Mediterranean Tossed Salad and Garlic Bread Baguette. If you're serving it as a Feast of Seven Fishes main dish, start with Mediterranean Charcuterie Board or Roasted Eggplant Bruschetta.

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