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    Home » Main dishes » Sicilian-style stuffed squid

    Sicilian-style stuffed squid

    April 15, 2016 by Caroline's Cooking

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    Don't worry about chewy squid, there's none of that here. This Sicilian-style stuffed squid has a delicious chard, pine nut, raisin and cheese stuffing with just enough bite from the anchovy & capers. It's easy to make and completely delicious.

    Jump to Recipe
    Sicilian style stuffed squid cut open to show chard filling

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    Despite the fact we often have calamari as an appetizer when we are out I don't cook it at home much. I've cooked squid in paella and similar dishes like fideua and arros negre many times. I've also made calamari in a light batter now and then but I've never cooked it whole, until now.

    I'm so glad I did, though, as this stuffed squid was really delicious. The squid is so tender baked liked this and the filling is a wonderful combination of flavors. In fact I don't think I've ever had squid with so much flavor.

    two pieces of Sicilian style stuffed squid on plate from overhead with cut lemon and additional squid in baking dish above

    Squid: a Mediterranean favorite

    Squid, or calamari as it's called in Italian, is such a Mediterranean thing to me and I have many memories of enjoying it, usually lightly battered and fried both in Europe and here. Served simply with plenty lemon juice it can be so delicious. My son is starting to become a fan, too.

    It's a much more flexible ingredient than just something to be fried, though. You'll find squid, as I mentioned, in paella and similar dishes. It's also great in fish stews, though you have to take care not to cook it too long.

    You can even add it to salads, whether a classic seafood salad or alongside other ingredients like my calamari salad with avocado and fennel. But it can also be a star in its own right as is definitely the case in this stuffed squid dish.

    Sicilian style stuffed squid on plate with one piece cut open showing stuffing inside

    I know it may not appeal to all, but it's the sort of dish that looks pretty impressive so would make a nice dinner-party dish. The flavors are mild but distinct and they all work so well together.

    You could also reduce the serving size and have as an appetizer eg with salad, but squid is generally cheaper than many fish so it's still pretty economical. And there are no bones!

    squid with stuffing inside and additional stuffing around ready to bake

    How to make Sicilian stuffed squid

    I looked at many recipes as I was deciding how to make this dish, and was most inspired by this one which I have used as a base.

    The stuffing doesn't take too long to make and is a collection of very typical Sicilian ingredients - many of them are in other dishes like the pasta con sarde a mare I shared before.

    • Soften the onion, garlic and chard stalks then wilt the chard leaves.
    • Melt the anchovies into the mix then stir through the rest of the stuffing ingredients.
    • Stuff the squid and bake with the extra stuffing on the side.
    Sicilian style stuffed squid on plate from overhead with lemon to side

    We loved this Sicilian-style stuffed squid instantly and have already shared it with others, too. The delicate flavors from the cheese, chard, pine nuts and raisins with just enough 'bite' from the anchovies and capers complement the squid so well.

    It's pretty easy to make and doesn't take too long either. The fact you can eat every last bit is a bonus too. If you are worried about the squid being tough don't be - this way of cooking made it come out a wonderful texture that's not chewy at all.

    So get down to your local fish shop (or if you don't have one, many Asian supermarkets carry squid) and get some squid to give this tasty dish a go.

    Sicilian style stuffed squid on plate with additional stuffing to side

    If you like this, you'll love these other seafood recipes:

    • Sardinian fregola with clams (small pasta)
    • Mussels in white wine
    • Chard couscous stuffed fish (baked whole fish)
    • Plus get more seafood recipes in the archives.

    I baked this in the larger of my Le Creuset stoneware square dishes which worked well (affiliate link).

    Sicilian style stuffed squid
    Print Recipe
    5 from 2 votes

    Sicilian-style stuffed squid

    A delicious Sicilian way of preparing squid that's so tender and full of flavor.
    Prep Time10 mins
    Cook Time30 mins
    Total Time40 mins
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Italian
    Servings: 2
    Calories: 345kcal
    Author: Caroline's Cooking
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    Ingredients

    • 1 tbsp olive oil plus more for drizzling
    • ½ onion
    • 1 clove garlic
    • 5 oz chard 140g, weight including stems, around 5 leaves
    • 3 anchovy fillets
    • 1 tbsp capers
    • ½ tsp fennel seeds crushed with a pestle and mortar
    • 3 tbsp pine nuts lightly toasted if possible (not essential)
    • 3 tbsp golden raisins or sultanas
    • 2 tbsp pecorino romano 7g, finely grated, or parmesan cheese
    • 1 oz fresh bread crumbs 30g, 1 small slice
    • 4 squid cleaned, skins removed etc (ask your fishmonger) so you have the main body plus the tentacles, or 6 if small
    • To serve - fresh parsley, lemon juice

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 375F/190C.
    • Warm the oil in a medium skillet/frying pan. Finely dice the onion and crush or finely dice the garlic. Remove the stems from the chard, trim the ends then finely slice the stems, cutting into smaller pieces if thick.
    • Add the onion to the pan, cook a minute then add the garlic and chard stalks. Cook for around 3-5 minutes until soft but not brown.
    • Meanwhile chop the chard leaves fairly finely and slice the anchovy fillets. Drain, rinse and chop the capers. Add the chard leaves to the pan once onions are soft, stir in so they wilt, around a minute or two. Add the anchovies, capers and fennel seeds and mix in well.
    • Remove the mixture from the heat and add the pine nuts, golden raisins, cheese and breadcrumbs and mix well. Note this filling can be made ahead and refrigerated overnight.
    • Stuff each of the squid relatively full but take care not to overstuff - leave around ½in/1cm space at the end.
    • Place the stuffed squid in a baking dish with a little olive oil under them. Arrange the tentacles on either side and cover them with any remaining stuffing over them. Put a little salt and pepper over everything and drizzle lightly with olive oil.
    • Bake for approx 20 minutes until the squid has firmed up, is no longer translucent and you'll see juice from the squid in the dish. Serve with a little chopped parsley over the top and a squeeze of lemon. Nice served with pasta, bread, salad or on their own.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 345kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 445mg | Potassium: 616mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 4335IU | Vitamin C: 24.5mg | Calcium: 148mg | Iron: 3.5mg

    See some of my favorite cooking tools and ingredients in the Caroline's Cooking Amazon store. 

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    Don't worry about chewy squid, there's none of that here. This Sicilian-style stuffed squid has a delicious chard, pine nut, raisin and cheese stuffing with just enough bite from the anchovy & capers. It's easy to make and completely delicious. #squid #italianfood #stuffedsquid #bakedsquid #seafood
    Don't worry about chewy squid, there's none of that here. This Sicilian-style stuffed squid has a delicious chard, pine nut, raisin and cheese stuffing with just enough bite from the anchovy & capers. It's easy to make and completely delicious. #squid #italianfood #stuffedsquid #bakedsquid #seafood
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Grace

      December 15, 2019 at 8:22 pm

      Can this recipe be prepared ahead of time and frozen? If so, how long ahead?
      I'm expecting Italian guests and this seems perfect but if they come on a weekday, I'll need time to prepare so it's ready to pop in the oven.
      Thanks for sharing!
      Grace

      Reply
      • Caroline's Cooking

        December 15, 2019 at 10:33 pm

        It's not something I have tried, and am not sure quite how well it would work. Certainly, you'd want to be careful that you don't defrost and re-freeze uncooked squid, and I'd say it would be tricky to re-heat if you cook ahead as squid is all too easy to overcook. A suggestion, though, is you can make the filling ahead of time and then just stuff the squid the day you are serving, which won't take long, and cook in the oven as usual. You should be fine to freeze the filling in a sealed container if you need to make it more than a day or two ahead. Hope it all works out!

        Reply
    2. Georgina

      April 20, 2016 at 2:34 pm

      5 stars
      Wow Caroline, love that your recipe is packed with so much of flavour and textures. Would love to try this out some day (when I get all the ingredients available). Love it!

      Reply
      • Caroline's Cooking

        April 21, 2016 at 12:29 pm

        Thanks Georgina, it's a delicious mix. Fingers crossed you can find everything and give it a try.

        Reply
      • Zoe

        November 08, 2020 at 11:51 pm

        Could octopus be used for this recipe instead, i.e stuff their heads?

        Reply
        • Caroline's Cooking

          November 09, 2020 at 4:12 am

          I'm not sure that it would work as octopus typically needs longer to cook and so may mean the filling dries out or burns on the edges to give the octopus long enough to become cooked and tender.

          Reply
    3. Denise Wright

      April 18, 2016 at 6:01 am

      Wow this looks so interesting! I have never had squid (unless you count calamari) but this stuffing looks really delicious.

      Reply
      • Caroline's Cooking

        April 18, 2016 at 7:19 am

        Thanks Denise, it is quite different from calamari but so delicious. Both the squid is tasty and tender and the stuffing has such great flavors.

        Reply
    4. Tasting Pour/Jade Helm

      April 17, 2016 at 7:48 pm

      This looks so good.

      Reply
      • Caroline's Cooking

        April 18, 2016 at 7:15 am

        Thanks Jade!

        Reply
    5. nadia@maisontravers

      April 17, 2016 at 6:31 am

      Will definitely be giving this a try. I love calamari.

      Reply
      • Caroline's Cooking

        April 18, 2016 at 7:10 am

        Great, Nadia, I hope you enjoy.

        Reply
    6. Colleen

      April 16, 2016 at 7:46 am

      So I think this is a recipe I could fall in love with. I love squid, and handing them isn't too yucky for me. Can't wait to play around with this one!

      Reply
      • Caroline's Cooking

        April 18, 2016 at 7:08 am

        I hope you enjoy it Colleen - we've already had it again with my parents who have been visiting and they loved it too.

        Reply
    7. Karen

      April 15, 2016 at 9:38 pm

      This is so inspiring! There are so many squid types at my Asian market, I never know quite what to buy. Your Italian squid sounds amazing.

      Reply
      • Caroline's Cooking

        April 18, 2016 at 7:06 am

        Thanks Karen, I'd say go for a medium-sized one for this but it probably won't matter too much which. I hope you give it a try and enjoy.

        Reply
    8. Kristen

      April 15, 2016 at 7:49 pm

      I have yet to ever try squid...even calamari. Looks like I found a way to try it.

      Reply
      • Caroline's Cooking

        April 18, 2016 at 7:05 am

        it's definitely something to try and even if I am biased, I think this is a great way to give it a go.

        Reply
    9. Julie at Hostess At Heart

      April 15, 2016 at 4:47 pm

      I've had calamari but never stuffed squid before. This dish looks absolutely delicious Caroline! Hope you have a fabulous weekend!

      Reply
      • Caroline's Cooking

        April 18, 2016 at 6:59 am

        Thanks Julie, you really should try this, it's delicious and quite different from calamari rings. Hope you had a good weekend too!

        Reply
    10. Sue

      April 15, 2016 at 4:30 pm

      Looks delicious Caroline! Great job! When can I eat? 🙂

      Reply
      • Caroline's Cooking

        April 18, 2016 at 7:19 am

        Thanks Sue, you're welcome any time!

        Reply
    11. Sid's Sea Palm Cooking

      April 15, 2016 at 4:20 pm

      I love Calamari so this is a definite must try if I can ever score fresh squid.

      Reply
      • Caroline's Cooking

        April 18, 2016 at 6:57 am

        I hope you can find some as this is really tasty!

        Reply
    12. Camilla @ Culinary Adventures

      April 15, 2016 at 10:53 am

      Caroline, thanks for sharing such as delicious looking recipe. I appreciate you joining me!

      Reply
      • Caroline's Cooking

        April 15, 2016 at 2:34 pm

        It was a lot of fun - we love fish & seafood but I think this group is helping me try more ways of cooking it rather than opting for the easy/known!

        Reply
    13. Wendy, A Day in the Life on the Farm

      April 15, 2016 at 8:53 am

      Yours is the recipe I most want to recreate this month. Thanks for sharing Caroline.

      Reply
      • Caroline's Cooking

        April 15, 2016 at 2:32 pm

        Aw thanks Wendy, I really hope you enjoy it, we loved it!

        Reply
    14. Rebekah @ Making Miracles

      April 15, 2016 at 7:14 am

      What a fantastic dish with so many amazing flavors and ingredients! Thank you for sharing. 🙂

      Reply
      • Caroline's Cooking

        April 15, 2016 at 2:31 pm

        Thanks Rebekah, it's so good we've already had it again 🙂

        Reply

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