We have been a bit missing in action on the blog as of late, and if you follow us on Instagram you know why! We are pregnant and so very excited! However, early pregnancy did come with a lot of food aversions and reduced appetite, so recipe development sort of went on the back burner. I’m finally feeling back to my usual self and we decided to get back on it with another Italian recipe: Classic fried calamari with spicy marinara sauce. 
Early on in the pregnancy, the sight of meat or seafood of any kind was nauseating, so all I craved was pasta and pizza! Now that my appetite is finally getting back to normal, meat and seafood and making a reintroduction. The Italian food cravings have not stopped, though, and I have to say, I seriously scarfed these down. We both have always loved us some fried calamari! If it’s on the menu, we’ll probably order it.
Calamari, AKA Squid
I still remember finding out as a pre-teen that calamari were actually squid. I have to admit, it did throw me off a little, but most definitely not enough to stop enjoying it. As an adult, I really have come to appreciate other types of seafood and shellfish. Squid is fairly inexpensive, already comes cleaned, and requires very little cooking time. Additionally, it has low mercury contents, and is a sustainable seafood choice. I won’t brag about its health benefits here, considering they are fried. But, there are many ways to enjoy squid that don’t involve frying. Check out our seafood pasta recipe or our paella recipe for more ways to enjoy squid.
Inspiration for the Dish
We have always loved splitting a plate of fried calamari for appetizer on date nights. It’s a special dish to us and we have many occasions we think back on enjoying it together. As we’ve talked about on the blog before, we prefer to do Valentine’s Day at home, cooking some of our favorite comfort foods. With Valentine’s Day coming up, we’ve been brainstorming dishes, and decided we needed to come up with our very own fried calamari recipe. It’s so incredibly easy to make, coming together in all of 25 minutes, and is fairly inexpensive. We find our calamari tubes easily at our local Central Market or Whole Foods. It’s a really great appetizer to make for your loved one for a romantic dinner in. Follow it up with some homemade pasta or a delicious steak dinner and you’re set.
Recipe Details
One of the keys to making good fried calamari is pre-soaking the calamari in milk. This gets the squid nice and tender, avoiding the rubbery texture we don’t want. The other key is making sure your oil is very hot. Calamari cook quickly, and you want them to be nice and crispy. You can always test your oil by tossing in a little bit of batter or a small piece of calamari before throwing in all the calamari to realize the oil was not hot enough yet. If the oil bubbles back at you, you know its ready. The fried calamari are best enjoyed right away for maximum crispiness. We paired ours with a slightly spicy marinara sauce but these also pair amazingly with garlic aioli. Happy cooking!
Easy Fried Calamari with Spicy Marinara
Ingredients
Fried Calamari
- ½ Pound Calamari Tubes Sliced into rings
- 1 Cup Milk
- 1 Cup All Purpose Flour¼
- 1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Black Pepper
- ¼ Cup Parmesan Cheese Grated
- ⅛ Cup Fresh Parsley Chopped
- 1 Teaspoon Red Chili Flakes
- 3 Cups Canola Oil
Spicy Marinara Sauce
- 1 Clove Garlic Minced
- 1 14.5 Ounce Can Crushed Tomatoes
- ½ Teaspoon Dried Parsley
- ½ Teaspoon Red Chili Flakes
- ¼ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ¼ Teaspoon Dried Basil
- ¼ Teaspoon Dried Oregano
- ¼ Teaspoon Black Pepper
- ⅛ Teaspoon Granulated Sugar
- ½ Tablespoon Olive Oil
Instructions
- Place the calamari tubes into the milk to marinate.
- Meanwhile, make the marinara. Fry the garlic in the olive oil for about 2-3 minutes until slightly golden. Then add the crushed tomatoes, spices, and herbs. Cover and let simmer for 15 minutes, while you finish preparing the calamari.
- In a deep frying pan, heat up the canola oil over medium-high heat.
- Combine the parmesan cheese, parsley, and red chili flakes in a small bowl and set aside.
- Combine the flour with the salt and pepper in a shallow bowl. Remove the calamari tubes from the milk (do not dry off) and toss the seasoned flour to coat.
- Fry in the heated canola oil in batches, for about 3-4 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Let drain onto a paper towel to collect excess oil. Continue until you've finished with all the calamari.
- Finally, toss the calamari in the parmesan cheese, parsley, and red chili flake mixture and serve with the marinara sauce for dipping.