Risotto alla pescatora
- Average
- 1 h 5 min
- Kcal 605
Baked calamari gratin—seriously, it’s one heck of a dish. Really tasty. Picture this: you’ve got that Southern Italy vibe right at your table. Fresh, Mediterranean ingredients with a simple style. It’s a crowd-pleaser, for sure. Imagine tender squid filled and topped with a mix of cherry tomatoes, olives, capers, and oregano. All this goodness bakes till it's crispy and golden. Pretty simple.
This dish, using just one tray in the oven—easy cleanup—keeps the seafood moist and light. The folks down south love it because, you know, it gives those bright, tangy flavors you expect from Mediterranean seafood recipes. Plus, this baked calamari recipe is way better with fresh ingredients, a hot oven, and a pinch of patience till it gets all bubbly and golden.
Weekend lunch? Weeknight dinner with friends? Or just when you want something special but not too heavy, this baked calamari gratin is perfect. The calamari cherry tomatoes olives combo is not only colorful but really really tasty with a side salad or roasted potatoes. Just like they do in Puglia or Sicily. And the olives and capers? Add a briny kick, and the oregano makes the kitchen smell amazing when it’s out of the oven. It’s one of those easy baked calamari options that feels fancy—pretty much—but is super simple to put together.
And listen, people love how those juicy tomatoes burst and blend with the seafood. Every bite, a surprise. This dish keeps things light but gives you that rich, satisfying feeling from classic southern Italian cooking. For quick meals or when you’ve got company, this baked calamari recipe hits the perfect mix of flavor, texture and laid-back Mediterranean style. Try it once, and you know what? It might just become a regular on your menu!
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To prepare the baked gratined squid with cherry tomatoes and olives, first dedicate yourself to cleaning the squid: detach the tentacles from the mantle 1 and remove the cartilage pen inside it 2. Rinse under running water and use your hands to remove the innards found in the mantle. Use a small knife to cut the end of the mantle and remove the outer skin 3.
Cut the mantle into rings about 0.8 inches thick 4. Finally, separate the eye from the tentacles and place them in a bowl along with the squid rings. Now, cut the cherry tomatoes in half 5 and the green olives 6.
Do the same with the black olives 7. Add the cherry tomatoes to the bowl with the squid 8, along with the black and green olives 9.
Also add the desalted capers 10, dried oregano 11, and dried chives 12.
Season with salt 13 and pepper 14. Finally, add about three quarters of the breadcrumbs 15.
Season with about 2 tablespoons of oil 16, and mix thoroughly to combine the ingredients 17. Transfer everything onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper 18, spreading it evenly over the surface.
At this point, sprinkle with the remaining breadcrumbs 19 and the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil 20. Bake in a static oven at 392°F for 10 minutes, then switch to fan mode, still at 392°F, for another 15 minutes. Your baked gratined squid with cherry tomatoes and olives is ready to be served 21!