Pasta with calamari rings in tomato sauce with peas, something so simple yet so delicious, a Mediterranean seafood pasta dish ready in no time.
Pasta with calamari or other seafood is something that might seem difficult to cook at home. Or at least I used to think that... Until I really actually cooked a seafood dish and noticed how easy that is.
Either this calamari spaghetti or my favorite calamari stew, both are really simple dishes that don't require a lot of effort or any special skills.
Ingredients needed for calamari pasta
- Calamari: The only kind of calamari available around here are frozen calamari tubes. They are cleaned and without any tentacles.
- I always defrost the calamari tubes in the fridge overnight.
- You can also defrost the calamari by placing the tubes in a freezer bag and placing them in cold water for about 30 minutes or until defrosted.
- Vegetables: Onions, garlic, one can of tomatoes, and frozen peas
- Herbs: Dried rosemary and fresh parsley
- Pasta: Whole wheat or regular spaghetti. But other sorts of pasta would be fine as well.
How to make pasta with calamari?
- Defrost the calamari tubes in the refrigerator overnight. Or place them in a freezer bag, close it well, place the bag in a bowl with cold water, and let defrost for about 30 minutes (or as needed).
- Clean the calamari tubes and slice them into rings about 5 mm/ ¼ inch thick.
- Finely chop the onion, the garlic cloves, and rosemary. Set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet or non-stick pan and cook the onions on a medium-low flame for about 5 minutes or until softened.
Add the garlic, calamari rings, chopped tomatoes, red wine vinegar, sugar, and rosemary. Add some salt and pepper to taste, bring to a boil, and simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes.
- Add the peas and continue simmering, uncovered, for another 10 minutes.
- Chop the parsley and add most of it to the pan after you turn off the heat. Adjust the taste with salt and pepper.
- In the meantime, cook the spaghetti.
What to serve with calamari pasta?
More Mediterranean recipes?
Pasta with Calamari
Ingredients
- 1 lb calamari tubes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 can chopped tomatoes 14 oz/ 400 g
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 lb spaghetti
- a small bunch parsley
- fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Defrost the calamari tubes if frozen, wash, and pat dry. Cut into thin rings, about 5 mm/ ¼ inch wide. Set aside. Finely chop the onion, the garlic cloves, and the rosemary.
- Saute onions: Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet and cook the onions on medium-low heat for about 5 minutes or until softened.
- Simmer: Add the garlic, calamari rings, chopped tomatoes, red wine vinegar, sugar, and rosemary. Add some salt and pepper to taste, bring to a boil, and simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes.
- Add the peas and continue simmering, uncovered, for another 10 minutes. Chop the parsley and add most of it to the pan after you turn off the heat. Adjust the taste with salt and pepper.
- In the meantime, cook the spaghetti.
- Serve the calamari in tomato sauce over spaghetti and sprinkled with the rest of the parsley.
Chris Scheuer says
Wow, they're so pretty in a dish like this. I haven't ventured much into calamari but you've got me intrigued!
Adina says
You should try calamari, Chris, if cooked corectly they are really really good.
Melanie @ Melanie Cooks says
Yes, calamari is really easy to cook! I also for some reason rarely make calamari at home, thanks for the reminder, now I'm craving it! Your recipe is easy to make, yet looks so impressive!
Adina says
Thank you, Melanie. 🙂
Monica says
This looks amazing!! We love calamari but I've only cooked it a couple of times at home. Sometimes I buy frozen bags of mixed seafood that have calamari in it..does that count? : ) I have to make this!
Adina says
Great! Let me know if you liked it!