Calamari Fra Diavolo Recipe

Calamari Fra Diavolo Recipe is an easy Italian dish featuring squid stewed in a flavorful fresh tomato sauce. It can be served as a side with crusty bread for dipping or paired with your favorite pasta for a delicious seafood meal.

A white serving bowl filled with calamari rings  fra diavolo smothered in a  spicy tomato broth and a spoon inside the bowl.

Calamari Fra Diavolo Recipe

Our mom made this seafood dish often, and she’d call it “calamari marinara” but, today we made it mildly spicy. Red pepper flakes enhance the flavor of seafood dishes, making this recipe even better. The entire process is simple and takes only about 15 to 20 minutes to prepare, resulting in an incredibly delicious meal!

It is a lovely seafood dish served as a side, or as the main course tossed with pasta. The sauce is so good and flavorful – that you have to take some bread and dip it into it (the Italian way!)

A spoonful of calamari rings smothered in a tomato broth.

Ingredients Overview

  • Calamari – in translation, calamari means squid. It is lightly sweet and tender and absorbs all the rich flavors from the fresh tomato sauce.
  • Fra Diavolo – in Italian means “among the devil” (among the heat). It is a mild-spicy sauce with crushed red pepper, which gives “heat” to the recipe.
  • Olive Oil – extra virgin olive oil adds the “good” fat to the recipe, infusing all the flavors together.
  • Garlic – fresh garlic offers deep aromatic flavors to fresh tomato sauce. It is a must for this recipe.
  • Imported Cherry Tomatoes – canned cherry tomatoes are preferred, and these are found in (14-ounce) cans and imported from Southern Italy where they develop their fragrant, sweet, and succulent flavors.
  • Fresh Italian Parsley – fresh parsley is a must-have for Italian seafood recipes. It adds a pleasant and fresh flavor to the dish.
  • Seasonings – crushed red pepper flakes and sea salt are the only seasonings you will need for this recipe.

How to Prepare & Clean Squid?

1. To Clean Frozen Squid: If you use frozen squid, it is best to place the package in your refrigerator to thaw overnight. Then rinse thoroughly and drain before cooking.

2. To Clean Fresh Squid: Whether you buy fresh squid tubes or ones that are already pre-cut into rings, you will need to rinse them under cold running water thoroughly and drain them in a colander.

Then examine them, and remove and discard any plastic-like spine bone from the inside.  Next, cut any or all squid tubes on a cutting board, into about 1/2-inch rings.

Squid Tubes in a colander rinsing under running water. and,  then cut into rings on a white cutting board,

Directions to Make Calamari Fra Diavolo Recipe:

Here are step-by-step photos and directions for making our Calamari Fra Diavolo. (*Full recipe card below!)

  1. First, Prepare the Squid: Rinse, drain, and cut into rings.
White cutting board with squid tubes cut into 1/2-inch pieces. by 2sistersrecipes.com

2. Second, Heat a Skillet with Olive Oil and Garlic: Next, in a non-stick large skillet, heat olive oil and toss in the fresh sliced garlic. Sauté the garlic on moderate heat until they turn a golden color, about 2 minutes.

3. Next, Add the Canned Cherry Tomatoes: open and toss in one can (14-ounce) of cherry tomatoes including all the liquid in the can. Sauté the tomatoes for about 1 minute. Then stir in 1/4 cup of water and simmer the tomatoes for about 3 to 4 minutes.

Photos of garlic & olive oil in a skillet, with canned cherry tomatoes, and tomatoes in the skillet.

4. Toss in the Fresh Parsley: Toss in about 3 tablespoons of freshly chopped parsley and stir to fragrant the tomato sauce.

5. Add the Calamari Rings and Seasonings: add in the squid rings, along with the sea salt and crushed red pepper flakes.

Fresh parsley tossed into the skillet with cherry tomatoes, then the squid is added.

6. Finally, Simmer the Squid: uncovered, for about 6 to 8 minutes, until the calamari rings are fully cooked, and tender to the bite. Turn off the heat and serve.

Large skillet simmering the calamari in tomato sauce.

Calamari Marinara vs Calamari Fra Diavolo…

What is the difference between Marinara and Fra Diavolo? Calamari Marinara and Fra Diavolo are the same recipes. The only difference between them is that one is a mild tomato sauce and the other one is spicy.

What to serve with calamari?

Notes and Tips For Success

  • Do not overcook the calamari or they will end up tough and chewy. Squid cooks up quickly. The calamari rings should be tender to the bite when ready. It’s best to taste one after a few minutes to see if they need more time.
  • Not spicy enough? Go ahead and toss in additional crushed red pepper flakes to your desired amount of “heat.”
  • Where to get imported “canned” cherry tomatoes? You can find these imported cherry tomatoes at your gourmet markets, Italian specialty stores, or on Amazon.
  • You can garnish this calamari dish with some freshly chopped parsley sprinkled on top, and serve.
  • What tools do we need to make this dish? All you need is a large non-stick skillet, a wooden spoon for stirring, and a cutting board (for cutting squid tubes).

How To Store and Reheat

  • When it comes to seafood dishes, it’s best to enjoy the meal as soon as it is ready to serve.
  • If you happen to have any leftovers, always store them in a sealed container and keep them chilled in the refrigerator. They should be consumed the next day.
  • To reheat, you can easily reheat calamari in a small skillet for a few minutes until they are warm.
A white serving bowl filled with cooked calamari rings in a spicy tomato broth.

A Delicious Seafood Dish

Calamari Fra Diavolo is one of the easiest seafood dishes you can make.

Squid is often fried or boiled and served as an appetizer, like our Shrimp and Calamari Salad. However, as a warm, brothy stew, this recipe is easier and most delicious!  This Calamari Fra Diavolo is a great dish to serve family and friends!  Try this recipe, you’ll be glad you did!

ENJOY!

Additional Easy Seafood Recipes…

If you make our easy calamari fra diavolo, let us know and leave a comment with a star rating!  We’d love to hear from you.  Sharing your insights and experiences helps everyone who reads them, and helps us too! 

A spoonful of calamari rings smothered in a tomato broth.

Calamari Fra Diavolo

Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Prep Time: 6 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 18 minutes

Calamari Fra Diavolo is a simple Italian recipe for squid stewed in a flavorful fresh tomato sauce with a kick. An easy seafood dish, and it takes about 15 to 20 minutes to make.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound (16-ounces) calamari tubes
  • 4 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • 5 cloves of garlic - sliced
  • 14-ounce can of cherry tomatoes
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 3 Tbsp. freshly chopped Italian parsley
  • 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
  • 3/4 tsp. sea salt

Instructions

  1. First, Prepare the Squid: Rinse, drain and cut tubes into 1/2-inch rings.
  2. Second, Heat Skillet with Olive Oil and Garlic: Next, in a non-stick large skillet, heat olive oil and toss in the fresh sliced garlic. Sauté the garlic on moderate heat until they turn a golden color, about 2 minutes.
  3. Next, Add the Canned Cherry Tomatoes: open and toss in one can (14-ounce) of cherry tomatoes including all the liquid in the can. Sauté the tomatoes for about 1 minute. Then stir in 1/4 cup of water and simmer the tomatoes for about 3 to 4 minutes.
  4. Toss in the Fresh Parsley: Toss in about 3 tablespoons of freshly chopped parsley and stir to fragrant the tomato sauce.
  5. Add the Calamari Rings and Seasonings: add in the squid rings, along with the sea salt and crushed red pepper flakes.
  6. Simmer the Squid: uncovered, for about 6 to 8 minutes, until the calamari rings are fully cooked, and tender to the bite. Do Not Over Cook them, so taste one after a few minutes.
  7. Turn off the heat and serve. Garnish with a sprinkle of freshly chopped parsley on top.


Serves 4 to 6 servings

Notes

1. Frozen Squid: If you use frozen squid, it is best to place the package in your refrigerator to thaw overnight. Then rinse thoroughly and drain before cooking.

2. Fresh Squid: Whether you buy fresh squid tubes or ones that are already pre-cut into rings, you will need to rinse them under cold running water thoroughly and drain them in a colander.


Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 to 6 servings Serving Size: 1 cup
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 166Total Fat: 10.6gCarbohydrates: 5.9gFiber: .9gSugar: 1.8gProtein: 12.6g

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Have a great day!

Happy Cooking …

xo anna and liz

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4 Comments

  1. Making calamari marinara tonight. Saw your recipe. Greetings from Garden City😘Rosemary

    1. Hi Rosemary! How are you? and your family? It’s SO nice to hear from you, and welcome to our recipe blog! Such a nice surprise, please let us know how the calamari marinara turned out for you! Have a great day! And happy cooking! 🙂 warmly,
      anna and liz