This tender calamari stew in tomato sauce is the best calamari recipe I know! It's an aromatic seafood dish you'll want to make again and again.
This calamari stew was my first time with calamari. Cooking it, not eating it. Fast forward to 2019 (this is an updated post from 2015). I've cooked this stew like a million times during the last 4 years.
It still remains the best calamari recipe ever! Even better than the fried rings in Chinese restaurants, which I adore as well.
This Mediterranean-style calamari was sooooooooooo much better than the restaurant version. That one was certainly good enough to leave an impression on me, but not that good compared with this version. Check out Pasta with Calamari, too.
Featured comment:
Penny: Never cooked calamari before, and this recipe worked perfectly and gave exactly the desired result!
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Difference between squid and calamari
Squid and calamari are both cephalopods of the order Teuthoidea, with over 300 species. Squid is usually Nototodarus gouldi or Teuthoidea, while calamari comes from the Sepioteuthis genus, named after their ink ("sepia").
Squid fins form an arrow shape at the hood's end, while calamari fins run along the body. Calamari is more tender when cooked, which is why it tends to be more expensive than squid.
Recipe ingredients
Calamari: The only kind of calamari available around here are frozen tubes. They are cleaned and without any tentacles. The best is to defrost the tubes in the fridge overnight. If you forgot about it the night before, you can also defrost them by placing them in a freezer bag and then in cold water for about 30 minutes or until defrosted.
Vegetables: I used onions, garlic, tomatoes and capers. Nothing facing, plain cheap ingredients that make up for the more expensive calamari.
Chili: Use long red chili peppers. The ones available to me are medium hot, so I use no more than 1 and always remove the seeds. For a spicier seafood stew, keep the seeds or add more chilies to taste.
Olives: I’m very particular about olives and can’t stand brined pitted ones in jars—they taste like water to me. I always buy vacuum-packed, unpitted black olives for their strong, delicious flavor. However, feel free to use other olives if you prefer.
- Check out this Leek Stew with Olives or the Moroccan Chicken Stew with Olives.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make calamari stew?
Step #1: Defrost the tubes. Clean and slice them into rings. Chop the onions, garlic cloves, and chili.
Step #2: Saute the onions, garlic, and chili in olive oil for a few minutes. Stir in the tomato paste.
Step #3: Add the rings, tomatoes, whole thyme sprigs, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Cover the pot, turn the heat down, and simmer for about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Step #4: Add the chopped capers and pitted and sliced olives. Continue cooking on a low flame, this time uncovered, for 10 to 15 minutes.
How to serve the stew?
This calamari stew is delicious when served with crusty white bread (baguette, ciabatta, or any other white bread) on the side. You’ll definitely want the bread to soak up every drop of sauce.
Otherwise, if you are not keen on bread, I am sure this seafood stew will be delicious over pasta or rice as well. Or even better: creamy Romanian polenta!
Calamari Stew in Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 lb calamari tubes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion about 150 g/ 5.5 oz
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 long red chili pepper to taste, Note 1
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 can chopped tomatoes 400 g/ 14 oz
- 3 thyme sprigs
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons capers
- 10 large black olives Note 2
- fine sea salt and pepper
Instructions
- Defrost the calamari tubes in the refrigerator overnight. Or give them to a bag, place the bag in a bowl with cold water, and let defrost for about 30 minutes (or as needed).1 lb calamari tubes/ 450 g
- Cut calamari into rings: Clean the calamari tubes and slice them into rings about 1 inch/ 2 cm thick. Finely chop the onions, garlic cloves, and chili.1 onion + 3 garlic cloves + 1 long red chili pepper
- Saute: Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pan, add the onions, garlic, and chili and saute them for a few minutes. Add the tomato paste and stir for about 2 minutes.2 tablespoons olive oil + 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- Simmer calamari stew: Add calamari tubes, tomatoes, whole thyme sprigs, bay leaves, and some salt and pepper. Cover the pot, turn the heat down, and simmer for about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.calamari + 1 can chopped tomatoes + 3 thyme sprigs + 2 bay leaves
- Add ingredients: In the meantime, finely chop the capers, pit the olives, and slice them. Add them to the stew and continue cooking on a low flame, this time uncovered, for a further 10 to 15 minutes.2 tablespoons capers + 10 large black olives
- Adjust the taste with salt and pepper. Remove the thyme sprigs and the bay leaves and serve immediately as suggested above.fine sea salt and pepper
Notes
- Chilies: I use medium-hot, long red chilies, seeds removed. For a spicier calamari stew, use chili to taste.
- Green olives are fine as well, another flavor yet still delicious.
Regina says
Knowing about the best calamari recipe I've ever had was great, and I enjoyed it. You will want to make this fragrant seafood stew again and again because of the tender calamari in sauce. I still think it's the greatest calamari recipe I've ever had. I love fried rings from Chinese restaurants, but these are even better. In just a few days, I'll have the freedom to prepare what I refer to as "adult" cuisine, a type of dish that I am confident my children will shun. Great stuff, I have to say. Please continue sharing.
Megan says
So good! I used Italian style diced tomatoes and added mahi mahi that i quickly baked with butter, garlic and a squeeze of lemon. I also added shrimp (last 10 min so as not to over cook) to it. Didnt have chilies so I used crushed red pepper to taste. It was delicious! Unfortunately carbs are a no go for me which was hard because I see what you mean about bread being great with it, but I was still able to scrape the bowl clean!
Louise says
I can’t get hold of calamari where I live so could I substitute squid? I know it won’t taste the same but will it work?
Adina says
Hi Louise. Sorry, I can't really help, squid is something that I cannot buy here. It is tougher than calamari as far as I know, so I can't really say how long you have to coo it.
David E. says
@Louise, squid should work great! Calamari is squid, so you should be able to just use this recipe as is.
Penny Milner-Smyth says
Never cooked calamari before, and this recipe worked perfectly and gave exactly the desired result!
Adina says
So happy to hear it, Penny.
Marvellina | What To Cook Today says
Calamari always have my vote! I do not like my seafood fried because I want to taste them the way they are. So, I believe you when you say this is better than the Chinese fried calamari! I hear you on the olives too. Absolutely hate olives in brine. I wish I could find the vacuum packed ones like you did. This stew looks amazing!!!
victor grech says
oh my God the flavors are just unreal I soaked the calamari in white wine as I was preparing the onions etc. just lovely thanks for the recipe
Adina says
Thank you, Victor, I am so glad you enjoyed this dish, soaking the calamari sounds great! 🙂
Tim says
Hi. Great recipe that works well in a slow cooker. A great way to return from work with a very tasty squid supper just waiting to be served! Thank you for a really delicious recipe.
Adina says
Hi Tim. Thank you for your feedback. I totally love this dish, I should make it again soon, we didn't have it for at least half a year. I wish I had a slow cooker to try it. 🙂
Christin@SpicySouthernKitchen says
This calamari stew looks so good! The only way I know how to cook calamari is to fry it so I will have to try this!
Adina says
Thank you Christin. I hope you try it, let me know if you liked it.?