This stuffed calamari recipe is a classic Italian dish, squid tubes are stuffed with a mix of breadcrumbs flavored with garlic, parsley, and (yes) Parmesan cheese. The sweetness of the calamari are enhanced by the white wine sauce and contrasted by the scent of the lemon zest. Delicious seafood to serve as a main on any festive occasion.

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In case you get confused, calamari are squids. Calamari is the Italian and Spanish name for squid. They are cephalopods, the same family as octopus and cuttlefish.
They have short legs and long heads. You can find them in different sizes called with different names, but the taste is very similar.
To make this stuffed calamari recipe, I use large-sized squid with a long body tube so it can hold enough stuffing. The squid tube tends to shrink when cooked, so the longer they are, the better.
The tentacles are stir-fried before and mixed with the breadcrumb to keep the stuffing moist and full of flavor.
White or red sauce
There are two versions of this recipe, one with tomato sauce and one without. I like the one without tomato sauce as you can better taste the squid.
I flavor it with white wine and let it simmer in its juices.
And no, it will not be dry or rubbery!
When your guests cut the calamari in half, they will discover the flavored breadcrumbs mixed with the tentacles. Each bite will be filled with flavored seafood enhanced by garlic, lemon zest, and wine.
Ingredients
The ingredients you need are:
- Calamari: large or medium size
- breadcrumbs
- freshly grated Parmesan
- lemon zest
- fresh parsley
- dry white wine
- olive oil
- peeled garlic cloves
- salt and peppers
See recipe card for quantity
Step by step Instructions with images
How to clean a calamari
Frankly, I would recommend asking your fishmonger to clean them for you. It is not difficult to clean them, but kind of disgusting.
Anyway, if you are up to the challenge or got stuck having to clean them, here is how:
- Detach the legs from the head
- Remove the eye and the beak from the legs
- Empty the head tube from all the organs
- Make sure you remove the tendon inside the tube
- Scrape off the skin from the calamari tube
You can see a video here below: Jump to Video
Prepare the breadcrumbs
- Blend with an electric blender a cup of shredded breadcrumbs with basil or parsley leaves and a garlic clove
- Add the grated parmesan to the breadcrumbs
- Stir with a fork to remove all the lumps
Preparing the stuffing
- Separate the calamari heads from the legs.
- Make sure there is no bone left inside the tubes
- Stir fry the legs with olive oil and garlic
- Until the legs turn into a whitish color
- Cut the legs into small pieces keeping all the frying oil
- Mix with the breadcrumbs
Stuffing the tubes
- Fill the heads with the breadcrumbs mix
- Push the filling down.
- Do not overfill them, as the head will shrink when cooking, and the filling will pop out if it is too full
- Close the ends with a toothpick
Cooking the calamari
- Place the calamari in a frying pan with olive oil and season them with salt.
- Pierce the heads so the juices can come out while the heads cook and shrink
- Stir fry the calamari until they become slightly white, turning them on the other side
- Add ½ glass of white wine and let it evaporate for a few seconds
- Cover and let it simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the size of the calamari.
Hint: If you want to make the red sauce add tomato sauce after the white wine has evaporated, then cook for the last 10 to 15 minutes.
Serving them
- Once they are ready, place them on a cutting board, remove the toothpick from the heads
- Cut them in slices
- Place them on a serving dish
- Pour the juices on top
- If you have any legs left a side serve them with the calamari
Top tips
- I use large-sized squid with a long tube/head so it can hold enough stuffing. The tube/head tends to shrink when cooked, so the longer, the better.
- Make sure there is no bone left inside the tubes
- It is difficult to know how many breadcrumbs you can fit into each head, so to avoid having leftovers, combine half of the tentacles first, then combine more as needed.
- Do not overfill the calamari with the stuffing as the head will shrink when cooking, and the filling will pop out if it is too full
- If you want to make red stuffed calamari add tomato sauce after the white wine has evaporated, then cook for the last 10 to 15 minutes.
What to serve with them
This plate has a delicate flavor of squid and white wine, and I like to serve it with a side that will not overpower the delicate taste.
A simple green salad and steamed potatoes are my favorite combination with fish. So here are some ideas:
- Italian Potato Salad
- Baby Potatoes Salad with Basil
- Green beans marinated in garlic and parsley
- Puntarelle alla Romana
For seafood ideas for the Feast of Seven Fishes, check out this Web Story.
Italian seasoned breadcrumbs prep
I always use seasoned Italian breadcrumbs in many recipes, so I prepare a large amount and keep it in the freezer. They don’t need to be defrosted ahead of time.
If you want to know more about it, you can read the article: Grated Parmesan and Breadcrumbs. also check out the article: Once a Month Freezer Meal Prep to find out what else I keep in my freezer.
I always keep the stale bread aside, and when I have time, I prepare the breadcrumbs and freeze it. Here are the ingredients I use in proportion to 3 cups of grated stale bread:
- 3 cups of grated stale bread
- ½ cup of parmesan
- ½ cup of basil leaves or parsley
- 1 garlic cloves
- 1 lemon zest ( in addition for this recipe)
If you are making it only for this recipe use the amount listed on the recipe card below.
FAQ
No, calamari do not require a long cooking time. Actually, if cooked for too long, they become rubbery
If your calamari are rubbery, they were cooked for too long.
Squid is calamari, calamari is the Italian and Spanish word for squid
More calamari squid recipes
If you like calamari, you can also try this Fried Calamari recipe you can serve as an antipasto.
Similarly, you can also try the pasta with squid ink made from scratch, although even if it is known as squid black ink, the ink is not from squid but from cuttlefish. You can read more about it in the article: What Are Calamari Squid Cuttlefish and Octopus.
I also use calamari in my Homemade Paella Seafood And Sausage, they add a nice sweet flavor and a soft bite.
If you are looking for more Italian Seafood recipes, you can check the category: Seafood
If you are making this Italian stuffed calamari recipe, leave your comment below I would like to hear from you. You can find more delicious ideas if you FOLLOW ME on Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest and Instagram or sign up to my newsletter.
📋Italian Stuffed Calamari Recipe
Ingredients (Commissions Earned)
- 8 calamari
- 2 cup breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 sprig fresh parsley
- ½ cup dry white wine
- olive oil
- 2 cloves peeled garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon salt
Equipment (Commissions Earned)
- Braun blender optional for breadcrumbs
- KitchenAid Mixer optional
Instructions
- Prepare the breadcrumbs by mixing them with the Parmesan, grated parsley, 1 grated garlic clove and the lemon zest2 cup breadcrumbs, ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, 1 sprig fresh parsley, 2 cloves peeled garlic cloves
- Separate the calamari tubes from the legs8 calamari
- Make sure there is no bone left inside the tubes
- Stir fry the legs with olive oil and garlicolive oil, 2 cloves peeled garlic cloves
- Cut the legs into small pieces and mix with the breadcrumbs. It is difficult to know how much breadcrumbs you can fit into each tube so to avoid having leftover, combine half then combine more as needed.
- Fill the tubes with the breadcrumbs mix pushing the filling all the way down. Do not overfill them as the tube will shrinks when cooking and the filling will pop out if it is too full
- Close the ends with a toothpick
- Season with salt1 teaspoon salt
- Stir fry the calamari until they become slightly white and pierce the tubes so the juices can come out while they cook and shrink
- Add ½ glass of white wine, cover and let it simmer for 10 to 15 minutes depending on the size of the calamari. If you want red stuffed calamari you can add your tomato sauce after the wine then cook for 10 to 15 minutes½ cup dry white wine
- Once they are ready, place them on a cutting board and remove the toothpick from the tubes
- Cut them in slices and place them on a serving dish
- Pour the juices on top and if you have any legs left a side serve them with the calamari
Video
Notes
- I use large size squid with a long tube/head so it can hold enough stuffing. The tube/head tends to shrink when cooked so the longer the better.
- Make sure there is no bone left inside the tubes
- It is difficult to know how much breadcrumbs you can fit into each tube so to avoid having leftover, combine half of the tentacles first then combine more as needed.
- Do not overfill the calamari with the stuffing as the tubes will shrinks when cooking and the filling will pop out if it is too full
- If you want to make red stuffed calamari add tomato sauce after the white wine has evaporated then cook for the last 10 to 15 minutes.
Chrysa
I didn't even know calamari could be stuffed! This sounds like a great recipe for the New Year!
Laura
Yes, perfect for New Year celebration
Helene
I got to know about stuffed calamari from my father in law. He would stuff them with a mixture of spices with scraped coconut. It was divine, especially when the calamari melts in your mouth! We are lucky to be near the sea and calamari are usually cheap here so I will try your version some time in the future. 🙂
Laura
That sounds like a nice combination. Calamari are normally reasonably priced and it is such a great dish.
Elizabeth
I had no idea you could stuff calamari! I wonder if we can get the right squid where I live - I'll have to check! Sounds delicious! 🙂
Laura
Hopefully, you should. If not fresh may be frozen. As long as it is a good quality brand it would work well anyway
Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry
I love calamari but didn't realise it could be stuffed! I definitely need to give this a try now!
Laura
Oh yes, and they are delicious
Emily
This looks wonderful Laura, calamari is one of my favourites!
Laura
Thank you Emily
Marisa Franca Stewart
My mamma used to make stuffed calamari whenever she could get the calamari. My papà's favorite was when she fried them-- not stuffed, just floured and fried. Since we live in the Mid-West it is difficult to find fresh octopus or squid. I'm pinning your recipe.
Laura
Oh, yes. That is what I do as well with fried squid
Bianca
This recipe was amazing!! However I tweaked it to make it gluten free (made my own gf bread crumbs) and added some tarragon, onions and celery. I added garlic powder instead of fresh garlic. Can't wait to make it again!!
Laura
Very nice, I am happy you liked it. Great tweak, these flavors go very well with the white wine sauce
Laura Villani
How far in advance can you make the stuffed calamari? Can they be frozen once stuffed, before cooking?
Laura
Hello, you can make it the day before. Seafood is better fresh. You can freeze it once stuffed but just ask your fishmonger if it is safe to freeze. Most seafood have been already frozen and it depends on how they have been defrosted if you can freeze them again.
Laura VILLANI
Thank you