Description
Delightful calamari puttanesca blends Italian coastal flavors with zesty tomato sauce and tender seafood. Fresh ingredients and quick preparation make this dish perfect for weeknight dinners you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb (454 g) calamari, cleaned and chopped
- 1 can plum tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 3 tbsps (45 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 green chili, chopped
- ¼ cup (40 g) kalamata olives, whole pitted
- ¼ cup (40 g) green olives, whole pitted
- 1 tbsp (15 g) capers
- ½ cup (30 g) fresh coriander, finely chopped
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 tsp (5 g) salt
- 1 tsp (5 g) pepper
Instructions
- Preparation: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high, creating a dynamic cooking surface for layering flavors.
- Aromatic Foundation: Sauté minced garlic and chili peppers until golden and fragrant, developing a potent flavor base that will permeate the entire dish.
- Flavor Layering: Introduce capers, kalamata olives, and green chili peppers, stirring thoroughly to distribute ingredients and create a complex Mediterranean profile.
- Sauce Development: Add coarsely chopped plum tomatoes, half the coriander leaves, and whole cinnamon sticks, allowing the sauce to simmer and develop rich, deep characteristics.
- Seasoning: Sprinkle kosher salt and black pepper, integrating spices to enhance the sauce’s depth and complexity while balancing the briny and tangy elements.
- Seafood Integration: Delicately fold calamari rings and tentacles into the simmering sauce, cooking for 3-4 minutes until the seafood transforms to a translucent, tender texture. Remove cinnamon sticks to prevent overwhelming the nuanced flavors.
- Final Garnish: Scatter remaining fresh coriander leaves across the dish, providing a vibrant, herbaceous contrast to the robust puttanesca sauce.
Notes
- Timing is Critical: Cook calamari precisely 3-4 minutes to prevent rubbery texture, ensuring tender, delicate seafood that melts in your mouth.
- Spice Strategy: Control chili heat by adjusting pepper quantities; remove seeds for milder flavor or keep them for intense, fiery kick.
- Cinnamon Caution: Remove whole cinnamon sticks immediately after cooking to prevent overwhelming the sauce’s delicate Mediterranean balance.
- Fresh Herb Finale: Add coriander leaves last moment for maximum aroma and vibrant green color, transforming the dish’s visual and flavor profile.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Appetizer
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 215
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 17 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 10 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg