Calamarata pasta: a classic, crowd-pleasing recipe

Today we bring you one of the most popular recipes from the Campania region, beloved both in Italy and around the world: calamarata pasta. A delicious seafood-based dish made with pasta and calamari (hence the name), it's incredibly easy to make and perfect for any season. 

Find out step-by-step how to make this delicious Italian calamarata pasta, and let your palate be captivated by authentic Mediterranean flavors!

Calamarata pasta: ingredients for 4 people

• 350 g calamarata pasta 
• 500 g frozen calamari
• 300 g fresh cherry tomatoes or tomato sauce
• 1/2 glass of dry white wine 
• 1 clove of garlic 
• Fresh chili pepper 
• 1 sprig of parsley 
• extra virgin olive oil
• salt (to taste) 
• pepper (to taste)

Directions

Remove the inner sprout from the garlic clove and slightly crush it. Drizzle a non-stick pan with some extra virgin olive oil, and sauté the garlic clove with a little fresh chili pepper. 

Add the calamari and let it cook for a few minutes, then deglaze with half a glass of dry white wine, perfect for enhancing the squid's flavor. Add the fresh tomatoes cut into small pieces, or the tomato sauce, and cook for another 10 minutes or so.

While it's cooking, fill a pot with around 1.5 liters of water and bring to a boil. Add salt to the water and then cook the pasta for the time indicated on the package, minus one minute: the pasta should be drained at the "al dente" stage as it will continue to cook in the pan with the squid, absorbing the sauce's aroma and flavor.

Add the drained al dente pasta to the pan with the calamari. Sprinkle with a little parsley, season with salt, pepper, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and cook for a minute or so. Let the pasta absorb the flavors of the cooking sauce, taking care not to reduce it too much.

The calamarata pasta is ready! For extra dramatic flair, you can bring the pan directly to the table, and serve it piping hot!

Tips for making an authentic Neapolitan calamarata

In our recipe, we recommend using frozen calamari, which is easier to find in American supermarkets. The authentic Italian recipe, however, calls for fresh calamari, which must be carefully cut and cleaned; their vibrant color is the recipe's standout feature.

Another important detail to consider is the tomatoes: ideally, fresh cherry tomatoes should be used. Once cut into small pieces or quarters, they'll release the fragrant fresh flavor that's the hallmark of this iconic Italian ingredient. 

For this and other Made in Italy recipes, follow Cristina and her recipes on our Facebook and Instagram!