Calamari Marinara

Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 56 min
Servings: 4
Yield: 4 servings

Description

Chef John's Italian calamari marinara simmers long and slow for a rich sauce and tender calamari. He suggests serving it over squid ink pasta.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow onion, sliced thin
1 serrano chile pepper, sliced thin
3 garlic cloves, crushed or minced
1 anchovy fillet
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup clam juice
6 cups crushed or pureed Italian plum tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 pounds frozen calamari (tubes and tentacles), thawed, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
1/4 cup freshly chopped Italian parsley
1 tablespoon Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 (16 ounce) package dry pasta

Directions

1 Drizzle olive oil into a saucepan. Add onions, chile pepper, garlic, anchovy filet, red pepper flakes, and salt; place over medium-high heat. Stir and cook until onions and garlic just start to turn golden, 3 or 4 minutes.
2 Stir in wine and simmer until wine is reduced by about half, 3 to 5 minutes. Add clam juice, tomatoes, and oregano. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer gently for about 15 minutes.
3 Gently stir in calamari and simmer until tender, 35 to 45 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in parsley.
4 Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until tender yet firm to the bite, about 12 minutes. Drain.
5 Stir some sauce into the hot, drained pasta. Serve in warm bowls topped with more marinara sauce and grated cheese.