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Calamarata

Naples & Campania

Calamarata

Calamarata

Thick pasta rings and 3 cm squid rings with seared datterini tomatoes.

70 min · Difficulty ●●●○○

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Dishes in this family

Each dish keeps its own guide; compare the ingredient and preparation differences here.

Spaghetti allo scoglioA seaside dish that piles shell-on shellfish and crustaceans from the scoglio (rocky reef) straight onto the pasta. The forks are whether tomato goes in ("rosso") or not ("bianco"), and whether the pasta is cooked directly in the seafood broth risotto-style or boiled separately and then tossed in.Read this dish →PescatoreA generous tomato spaghetti combining several kinds of seafood, with ingredients and sauce varying by region.Read this dish →

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Meet the dish

A Neapolitan-area dish pairing ring-cut squid with pasta of the same shape

Cut the squid mantle into rings about 3 cm wide so it echoes the shape of calamarata pasta. Sear halved datterini with garlic and chilli for seven minutes and remove them; cook squid in the same pan for ten minutes. Return the tomatoes and transfer pasta two minutes early to finish with cooking water.

Pasta shapes to use

  • calamarata

Key ingredients

  • calamarata pasta
  • fresh squid
  • datterini tomatoes
  • fresh chilli
  • flat-leaf parsley

Follow the cooking scenes

  1. Calamarata: Cut squid into rings.

    Step 1: Cut squid into rings

    Remove skin, cartilage and innards, then cut the mantle about 3 cm wide.

  2. Calamarata: Sear the tomatoes.

    Step 2: Sear the tomatoes

    Cook halved tomatoes with garlic and chilli over medium-high heat for seven minutes, then remove.

  3. Calamarata: Cook the squid separately.

    Step 3: Cook the squid separately

    Use the same pan to cook squid over medium heat for ten minutes, then return the tomatoes.

  4. Calamarata: Finishing calamarata in the pan.

    Step 4: Finish for two minutes

    Add pasta two minutes early, finish with pasta water, then add oil and parsley.

What to watch for

  • Match the width of squid and pasta rings to create the dish's signature visual and texture.
  • Sear tomatoes and squid separately so the squid does not stew too long in acid.

What sets it apart

This is more than squid with spaghetti: aligning squid rings with thick pasta rings is central to the dish's name and bite.