Squid, Nduja And Red Wine Ragu Recipe

Prepare squid

Rinse squid under cold water. Pat dry with paper towels. Separate tubes from tentacles. If tubes are whole, slice into rings roughly 2 cm wide to mimic calamarata shape; reserve a few small whole tentacles for plating if desired.

Season and coat

In a shallow bowl combine flour, cornmeal (or semolina), salt and black pepper. Toss the squid rings and tentacles lightly in the mixture to evenly coat; shake off excess. Keep coated squid chilled while you heat the oil so coating stays dry.

Fry squid

Pour oil into a deep heavy-bottomed pan or fryer and heat to 180°C (350°F). Fry squid in small batches so oil temperature stays steady, about 1.5–2 minutes per batch, until golden and crisp. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a wire rack or paper towels to drain. Season lightly with salt while hot. Keep warm in a low oven (90–100°C / 200–210°F) if needed.

Finish

Cut lemon into wedges for serving alongside crispy squid.

Sweat aromatics

Heat 3 tbs extra-virgin olive oil in a large sauté pan or wide pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion, carrot and celery. Cook gently, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 7–9 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant.

Build base

Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1–2 minutes to caramelize slightly. Add the nduja, breaking it up with a wooden spoon so it melts into the vegetables and oils — cook 2–3 minutes until well combined.

Deglaze & simmer

Pour in the red wine to deglaze the pan, scraping any brown bits from the bottom. Increase heat briefly to bring to a simmer and reduce for 2–3 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, stock, dried oregano and red pepper flakes if using. Stir and bring to a gentle simmer.

Reduce & season

Lower heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and flavors concentrate. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper. Stir in chopped parsley just before combining with pasta.

Cook pasta

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and add 2 tbs salt. Add calamarata and cook until al dente according to package instructions (usually 9–12 minutes). Reserve about 200 ml of pasta cooking water, then drain pasta.

Finish pasta in ragu

Return the drained pasta to the pan with the nduja red wine ragu over low heat. Add 100–150 ml reserved pasta water and toss to coat, adding more water a little at a time to reach a silky, clinging sauce that fills the rings. Cook together 1–2 minutes so pasta absorbs sauce.

Dress rocket

Toss rocket with 1 tbs extra-virgin olive oil and 1 tsp red wine vinegar, and a pinch of salt. Keep lightly dressed until plating.

Plate

Divide pasta among 4 plates. Nest a small handful of dressed rocket to one side of each plate. Top each pasta portion with a generous sprinkling of shaved parmesan if using. Arrange crispy squid on top of the pasta (or alongside) so some remain crunchy. Finish with a grind of black pepper and a lemon wedge on the side. Serve immediately.