Pressure Cooked Calamari Tomato Sauce or Side Dish!

You can double this recipe and serve it as a side dish – Italians actually use it as a second course – or make it as written and mix it in with spaghetti, serve it with rice… or surprise your guests by serving it on a little warm rectangle of white polenta - as seafood is served in the Friuli and Veneto regions of Italy.

Pressure Cooker Accessories Pr. Cook Time Pr. Level Open
6 L or larger none 15-20 min. High(2) Normal
Calamari in Umido – Calamari Tomato Sauce pressure cooker recipe
Author: 
Recipe type: pressure cooker
Cuisine: Italian
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 6-8
 

INGREDIENTS
  • 1½lb (800g) calamari fresh or frozen, thawed and drained
  • 14.5 oz or 400g can of chopped tomatoes
  • ½ cup of white wine
  • 1 clove garlic, smashed
  • 1 bunch parsley, chopped
  • 2 anchovies
  • 1 pinch red pepper flakes
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • olive oil
  • salt & pepper

INSTRUCTIONS
To clean the calamari:
  1. Detach the head from the “hat”. Pull carefully, as most of the innards that are attached to the head will come out when you pull.
  2. Under running water, pull the skin off the little hat and run water inside it to get out anything else that might still be stuck in there.
  3. While you are cleaning, you might feel a stiff, plastic-like cartilage quill. The end will be sticking out at the open edge of the hat where there is a little point. Just tug on it gently and pull it out. Set the little hat aside, it is clean!
  4. Next, separate the tentacles from the eyes – keep the tentacles and throw the rest away.
  5. Grab the tentacles and feel in the middle for the little beak. You can just pop it by squeezing the sides gently, or by pushing it from behind.
  6. Then, just slice the little hat into strips.
    If you have never cleaned calamari before, I recommend you watch this video before cleaning- do not worry, it will not take you 5 minutes per squidl! It took me a little less than 10 minutes to clean all of the calamari for this recipe.
To cook the calamari:
  1. In the cold pressure cooker, add 2 Tbsp. of olive oil, the garlic clove, the pinch of hot pepper and anchovies.
  2. Turn the flame on the lowest setting and, with the top off, swish everything around to flavor the oil (about 3 minutes).
  3. Next, add the calamari and lightly color them (about 5 minutes).
  4. Then add the wine and let it evaporate a bit (about 3 minutes).
  5. Finally, add the can chopped tomatoes, refill the can with water and add that, and half of the chopped parsley and swoosh everything around.
  6. Close and lock the lid of the pressure cooker. Turn the heat up to high and when the cooker reaches pressure, lower to the heat to the minimum required by the cooker to maintain pressure. Cook for 15-20 minutes at high pressure.
  7. When time is up, open the cooker by releasing the pressure.
  8. Mix in the lemon juice, a spritz of extra virgin olive oil and fresh parsley to serve!