Spaghetti con Calamari

The impetus for this recipe was frozen squid on close-out at the Jefferson City West Gerbes (a grocery store chain, for the uninitiated). Frozen squid, medium sized, whole, for 1.99 a pound. Damned good price. I bought two pounds.

I looked on line for an easy squid recipe that didn't involve deep-frying (too much oil, too messy), and I came across a recipe on cdkitchen.com that involved pasta, but didn't rely on a breading, a white or red sauce. Other than the butter - you don't want to use margarine or a non-butter substitute with this - it was a one mighty healthy dish.

Here was the problem, though. I planned to double up on the recipe - good for school week leftovers, good for teenagers. But then I went shopping to buy out of stock ingredients, and it dawned on me what four pounds of tomatoes entailed. That's one big pot-o-food. I stuck with the original recipe - two pounds of tomatoes, with one pound of squid, one pound of pasta. Still a hunk of food.

Like every cook with their personal half-assed "improvements", I substituted Roma tomatoes for Italian plums, and liberally near-doubled dried, processed oregano, thyme, basil, and marjoram for fresh alternatives. Why? Because I live in friggin' Kansas City, for Christ's sake. Try to get fresh basil and Italian plum tomatoes here.

Finally, I went with store bought spaghetti, though if I was going this for a more formal group than hungry kids I would have used a better pasta. But, hey - "tubular spaghetti" (the original recipe)? What the heck is that? Tubular? Is that like groovy fettucine or totally rad ziti?

To make the tomato/calamari sauce, I used a Zojirishi electric skillet, which is much more controllable and easier to clean (up after) than a frying pan. Mmmm. I love electric skillets.

Overall, making the sauce, making pasta, serving to a hungry horde - easy peasy.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter or virgin olive oil
2 pounds Italian plum tomatoes, peeled & coarsely chopped
1/2 large onion, coarsely chopped
1 pound squid, cleaned, tentacles intact, body in bite-size
1/4 teaspoon fresh thyme
2 teaspoons fresh oregano, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh marjoram, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
1 pound spaghetti or perciatelli (tubular spaghetti)
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Heat butter or oil in large saucepan. Add tomatoes and onions and cook for 20 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally until tomatoes break apart easily and onion is soft. Add squid, reduce heat to low, and cook for 10 minutes more. Add herbs and cook for 5 minutes. The squid should be very tender. Add salt and pepper and serve over pasta.

Oh, the photo. Totally unrelated to squid, curiously. It's my one favorite place in South Korea. The hostels south of the Sorak-san. Unfortunately, this exquisitely beautiful stream (and scenery) was destroyed by torrential flooding in 2006. A tragic loss, like burning the Mona Lisa. Sorely missed.