Pasta with Calamari
I have this recipe from a certain Mihai with whom I never actually exchanged a word. He, a normal person, passionately telling about "the best calamari recipe you can eat in Romania", and me, the introvert, sitting with my hat pulled over my eyes pretending to sleep, but in reality paying much more attention to every detail of the recipe than his conversation partner. I liked the simplicity of the recipe, it was so me... And it's so perfect for summer, an anticipation of the seaside vacation.
Ingredients
450 g calamari (medium or small)
150 g pasta (fettuccine or shell-shaped)
1/4 bunch parsley
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
zest from 1/2 small lemon
salt, pepper, chili flakes
Servings: 2
How to prepare pasta with calamari
- Clean the calamari according to the instructions here. Cut the tubes into rings. If you have pre-cleaned and cut calamari, you need 200 g.
- Put the calamari in a bowl and add the lemon zest and juice, oil, finely chopped parsley, salt and chili. Add a little cold water so the calamari sit comfortably in the marinade (about 50 ml). Refrigerate to marinate for at least 4-6 hours.
- Cook the pasta in plenty of salted water according to package instructions, but be careful to take them out 1-2 minutes before the time expires.
- Remove the calamari from the marinade, draining as much as possible.
- Heat a wide pan/pot and add the calamari. Sauté briefly, about 1-1.5 minutes, until the rings turn white. Remove to a bowl.
- When the pasta is almost ready to be taken out of the water, put the rest of the marinade in the pan where you sautéed the calamari. Bring the marinade to a boil and at that moment add the drained pasta.
- Cook the pasta in the marinade for another 1-2 minutes, until almost no liquid is visible in the pan. Stir frequently so the pasta is coated with sauce. At the end add the calamari and a little ground pepper and stir again. Serve immediately.
