Roasting the calamari in a cast-iron skillet, or any pan or casserole that can go directly over open flame, makes life easier. If you don’t have such a pan, roast the calamari in a regular baking dish, transfer them to a heated platter when they’re done, and pour the pan juices into a small saucepan to boil them down. For this recipe, bake the tentacles together with the bodies and reposition the tentacles in the opening of the body before serving.

　　

Ingredients

makes 6 servings

　　9 medium calamari (about 3 1/2 pounds total)

　　6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

　　8 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced

　　Salt

　　1 teaspoon crushed hot red pepper

　　1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 450° F. Clean and rinse the squid according to the directions on page 40, but without removing the skin. Arrange the squid bodies and tentacles in a shallow cast-iron pan or other flameproof baking dish. Stir the olive oil, garlic, salt, and crushed red pepper together in a small bowl, pour over the squid, and turn them to coat with seasoned oil. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and roast 10 minutes.

　　

Step 2

Remove the foil and flip the pieces of squid. Continue baking, uncovered and turning occasionally, until the squid is tender when poked with a fork or skewer, about 10 minutes.

　　

Step 3

Transfer the pan to the stovetop and bring the liquid to a boil over high heat. Cook until the sauce is lightly syrupy, about 4 minutes. Toss in the parsley and transfer the squid to warm plates or a platter. Spoon the pan juices over the squid and serve immediately.

　　From Lidia's Italian-American Kitchen by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich Copyright © 2001 by A La Carte Communications and Tutti a Tavola, LLC. Published by arrangement with Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of The Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC.Buy the full book from Amazon.