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This Italian stuffed calamari recipe is baked in a rich tomato sauce with a savory Italian sausage breadcrumb stuffing. Made in just a few simple steps, this classic Sicilian dish is perfect for a family style main dish or appetizer.
Stuffed Calamari or Calamari Ripieni is an Italian dish that originated in southern Italy in the town of Sicily. Whole calamari tubes are stuffed with a savory bread filling and grilled, oven-baked, or cooked in sauce over a slow simmer.
This version of my Italian-style stuffed calamari comes from a dish I once had at a special tasting menu. The restaurant stuffed the squid tubes with Italian sausage and served it for the second course.
This baked stuffed calamari recipe is a delicious seafood dish that can be served for a special occasion or during the holiday season.
Serve as a delicious appetizer alongside mussels marinara or steak pizzaiola. Alternatively, serve as a main course, over garlic butter pasta with crusty bread, and fresh arugula salad.
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🦑 Ingredient notes
- Calamari - Calamari is the Italian word for squid. Both the tubes and tentacles are used in this stuffed squid recipe. The tubes are the squid body that holds the filling, while the squid tentacles are used in the filling. Calamari or squid is sold at most grocery stores and comes both fresh and frozen. Defrost frozen calamari completely and drain any excess liquid before use. If you buy whole calamari, use this guide for how to clean calamari to help you separate the tubes and tentacles.
- Stuffing - Sweet ground Italian sausage is mixed with garlicky bread crumbs and parmesan cheese. For an extra kick, use spicy ground Italian sausage. Use pecorino cheese as a substitute for the parmesan, if needed.
- Sauce - My Italian gravy marinara sauce recipe is perfect as the rich tomato sauce in this stuffed squid recipe. Use store-bought marinara sauce as a substitute, if needed.
📋 Substitutions and variations
- Meat Free - To make this without meat for Christmas Eve, simply double both the breadcrumbs and the parmesan cheese. Add 2 Tablespoons of olive oil to the filling and mix with the remaining filling ingredients in the food processor.
- Dairy Free - Omit the parmesan cheese or replace it with a dairy-free substitute.
- Stovetop - Sear the stuffed calamari in olive oil in a hot skillet until golden brown. Let the seared calamari simmer in marinara for 10-15 minutes until tender.
- Grilled - Grill the stuffed calamari on a hot greased grill pan or outside grill. Let the calamari simmer in a pan or baking dish in the marinara for about 10-15 minutes until tender.
🔪 Step by step instructions
First, clean and prepare the squid so the tubes and tentacles are separated. Dice the calamari tentacles into small pieces and pat the tubes dry with paper towels.
In a large pan, that is oven-safe, cook the Italian sausage over medium heat until browned. Add the minced garlic clove and crushed red pepper flakes and cook for 1 more minute.
Combine the cooked sausage mixture in a food processor with the chopped tentacles, breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, chopped fresh parsley, kosher salt, and black pepper. Pulse to combine everything together, scrape down the sides, and then mix for 30-60 seconds more.
Use a small spoon and fingers to stuff the prepared mixture into each squid body. Pinch the ends of the body together to help hold in the mixture.
Heat the same pan used to brown the sausage over medium heat with the extra virgin olive oil. Add the stuffed tubes in a single layer and sear for 1-2 minutes on each side until light brown.
Pour the marinara sauce over the squid and then place the pan in a preheated oven to cook for about 15-20 minutes. Garnish with a little chopped parsley and serve!
If you ever don't recognize a tool or skill that is mentioned, be sure to look it up in our Glossary of Cooking Terms and Definitions for more information.
⭐ Expert tips
- Squid cooks very quickly, so make sure your pan is hot and cook only for a few minutes on each side. If it cooks too long, then the squid will become tough and rubbery.
- Remove the stuffed calamari from the oven when the sauce is bubbling and the filling is cooked through. Use a reliable kitchen thermometer to make sure the filling is at least 165˚.
⏲️ Make ahead and storage instructions
Stuffing - Make the filling up to one day ahead of time. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until assembly and cooking time.
Calamari - Stuff the calamari and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 12 hours ahead of time. Following directions for searing and baking as directed.
Leftovers - Keep leftover Italian stuffed calamari in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Reheat over low heat on the stovetop with extra marinara or in the microwave until heated through.
🦐 More Italian seafood recipes
If you loved this baked Italian stuffed calamari recipe, check out these other Italian seafood recipes that I know you will love too!
Recipe
Baked Italian Stuffed Calamari Recipe in Tomato Sauce
Video
Ingredients
- 10-15 whole squid, medium to large sized, or tubes and tentacles only
- 8 ounces ground sweet Italian sausage
- 2 Tablespoons minced fresh garlic
- 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- ¼ cup plain breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese, or pecorino romano
- 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, plus extra for garnish
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cups Italian gravy, or marinara
Instructions
- Clean and separate whole squids into tubes and tentacles.
- Chop the tentacles into small pieces and pat the tubes dry with paper towels.
- Heat a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat on the stovetop and preheat the oven to 350˚
- Cook the Italian sausage in the pan for about 5 minutes, while breaking it up, until it is cooked through.
- Add the minced garlic and crushed red pepper flakes and cook for 1 more minute.
- Combine the sausage mixture in the bowl of a food processor with the chopped tentacles, breadcrumbs, parmesan, chopped parsley, salt, and pepper.
- Pulse to combine the ingredients, scrape down the bowl, and mix for 30-60 more seconds until everything is well combined.
- Using a small spoon or fingers, stuff the filling into each squid tube and then pinch the ends to close.
- Heat the olive oil in the same pan that the sausage was cooked in over medium heat on the stovetop. Add the stuffed calamari tubes in an even layer and sear for 1-2 minutes on each side until lightly browned.
- Pour the Italian gravy or marinara sauce over the top of the calamari tubes to cover them. Place the pan in the preheated oven to simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling and the filling has an internal temperature of 165˚.
- Sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley and serve!
Notes
- Calamari - Purchase whole squids to clean and separate or purchase tubes and tentacles separately. Frozen squid can be used, but must be thawed completely and drained of any excess liquid.
- Meat Free - Double the breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese and add 2 Tablespoons of olive oil to the filling ingredients before mixing.
- Dairy Free - Omit the parmesan cheese or replace it with a dairy-free substitute.
- Stovetop - Sear the stuffed calamari in a pan and then pour the sauce on top. Let the seared calamari simmer on the stovetop for 10-15 minutes until tender and cooked through.
- Grilled - Grill the stuffed calamari on a hot greased grill pan or outside grill. Add to a pan or dish with the sauce and simmer for 10-15 minutes until tender and cooked through.
- Make Ahead - Make the filling up to one day ahead of time and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Stuff the calamari and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 12 hours ahead of time.
- Leftovers - Keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Reheat over low heat on the stovetop with extra marinara or in the microwave until heated through.
Jeanne
This was so delicious! After tasting I wish I had tripled the recipe so there would have been leftovers to freeze for later!
Amanda
I'm so glad you enjoyed it! It's one of our favorites 🙂