Ingredients
Equipment
Method
The Sauce Foundation:
- In a stockpot, sauté onion in olive oil. Add garlic and dried herbs; toast for 1 minute.
Simmer the Gravy:
- Stir in tomato paste, then add tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, and water. Simmer on low.
Stuff the Calamari:
- Mix the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, garlic, and olive oil until the mixture resembles damp sand.
The Oven Finish:
- Pour a thin layer of the warm red gravy into the bottom of your 9x13 glass baking dish. Arrange the stuffed tubes side-by-side in the dish, and top with just enough additional sauce to cover them. Cover the dish and bake at 325°F (160°C) for 1.5 to 2 hours until tender. Meanwhile, stir the raw legs directly into the remaining sauce pot on the stove and let it continue to simmer gently.
Finishing the Pasta
- Boil the linguini in well-salted water according to package directions, making sure to reserve 1 cup of the starchy pasta water right before draining. Drain the pasta and return it immediately to its cooking pan. Pour in a ladle of the stovetop red gravy along with a few splashes of the reserved pasta water, tossing gently over low heat for 30 seconds until the linguini is evenly coated and glossy. Add more reserved pasta water a little at a time if the pasta looks dry, discarding whatever is left over.
The Grand Finale:
- Carefully remove the tender stuffed calamari from the baking dish and set aside. Pour the savory pan juices and sauce from the baking dish back into your stockpot, being careful not to exceed 1 cup of liquid so you don't water down your gravy. Stir well to fully incorporate. Plate the coated linguini first. Ladle a generous amount of the hot, rich seafood gravy (along with the legs) directly over the bed of pasta. To finish, place the clean stuffed calamari proudly right on top of the sauce as the star of the plate, and serve immediately.
Nutrition
Notes
- Don’t Overstuff the Tubes: Stuff the calamari loosely — never pack the breadcrumb mixture tightly. The tubes shrink as they cook, so the filling needs a little space to settle without creating pressure. Each tube should be filled only about three‑quarters full to prevent splitting during the long oven simmer.
- The Legs: Don’t skip the legs — they shrink as they cook and stay tender, adding a gentle briny depth to the gravy. They’re essential for giving the sauce its classic seafood backbone.
