Here is another for tapas party that I did without using a specific recipe. File this one under spicy! Traditional Spanish Tapas is never complete without a squid dish, but it is almost always fried and served with aioli. Since I was verging on grease overkill with a bacon item and a fried cheese item already on the menu, I decided to riff on an Italian theme (think Pasta Fra Diavolo) and do a lighter, sauteed version.

If you’ve never cooked with squid before, it’s really no big deal. The fishmarket will have done most of the heavy lifting for you in terms of cleaning – all you really need to do is give them a good rinse after you cut them into 1/2 inch rings. Be sure to drain out the rinse water in a strainer. For this recipe you can opt either for just the bodies ( as I did) or a combination of bodies and tentacles. 

Heat some olive oil in a pan on medium heat and cook 3-4 chopped garlic cloves until they are translucent and beginning to brown. Add your calamari rings (and tentacles if you desire). Add 4 tablespoons of a high-quality concentrated tomato paste, two dried and crushed red peppers (you may also substitute three tablespoons of red pepper flakes), salt, and crushed black pepper to taste.

Saute on medium heat, for 10 minutes stirring occasionally to distribute contents evenly. The squid will begin to shrink slightly and the edges of the rings will being to roll up a bit. Watch for the squid to lose some of their original glossiness and brown a bit. The tomato paste and liquids in the pan should be simmering. In the final two minutes, add a handful of roughly chopped Italian parsley. Remove from heat and top with more parsley to serve. This one was light and delicious – I would serve it again as a quick main for during the week, either over pasta or on its own.

Spicy Sauteed Calamari

1 pound squid (full-bodies or a mix of bodies and tentacles)

3 dried red peppers (or substitute three tablespoons red pepper flakes)

4 tablespoons high-quality concentrated tomato paste

3 – 4 cloves of garlic

Italian parsley

Olive oil

salt and ground black pepper