Culinary archaeologists Susan Lord and Danilo Baroncini named their cookbook Pani Caliatu (available from Kitchen Arts & Letters in New York), for the traditional Aeolian twice-dried bread. For this recipe, the people of the Aeolian Islands use totani (flying squid). The recipe works just as well with squid found in the U.S. Since squid is often sold cleaned and in parts, be sure to get one set of tentacles per squid body to ensure that there will be enough stuffing.
Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 1 1/4 hr
Recipe information
Yield
Makes 4 first-course servings
Ingredients
Special Equipment
Preparation
Step 1
Finely chop tentacles. Heat 1/4 cup oil in a wide 5- to 6-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté tentacles, stirring, until just cooked through, about 1 minute. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a bowl and cool.
Step 2
Stir tomatoes into oil in pot along with basil, sea salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes.
Step 3
While sauce simmers, stir together Pecorino, bread crumbs, parsley, garlic, eggs, sautéed tentacles, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Gently stuff each squid body with a slightly rounded tablespoon of bread-crumb mixture and pat squid to distribute filling evenly. Weave a wooden pick horizontally across wide opening of each squid to seal. (During cooking, stuffing will expand and squid will shrink, forming a rounded, well-stuffed squid.)
Step 4
Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté squid, turning over once, until browned and any liquid given off is evaporated, about 6 minutes total. Add squid to tomato sauce and simmer, covered, turning occasionally, until squid is tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Discard picks and serve squid with sauce.
