Ingredients

• Cleaned calamari tubes (use extra tubes or tentacles for stuffing)

• Medium grain rice, rinsed

• Onion, finely diced

• Garlic cloves, minced

• Fresh tomatoes or tomato passata for sauce

• Fresh herbs: parsley, mint, dill (chopped)

• Lemon zest and juice

• Olive oil

• Salt, black pepper, dried oregano for seasoning

• Water for baking sauce

Instructions

1. Prepare the Stuffing

   • Dice extra calamari tubes or tentacles into small pieces.

   • Sauté diced calamari with onions and garlic until fragrant and softened.

   • Add diced tomatoes, salt, pepper, oregano, rinsed rice, herbs, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Mix well and cook briefly to combine flavors.

2. Prepare the Sauce and Calamari

   • In a baking dish, mix tomato passata with olive oil and water to create a light sauce base.

   • Use toothpicks to seal the narrow open end of each cleaned calamari tube.

3. Stuff and Bake

   • Stuff each calamari tube with the prepared rice and calamari stuffing, leaving a little space for rice expansion.

   • Place stuffed tubes in the sauce, season with salt and pepper, and cover with foil.

   • Bake in a preheated oven at about 180°C (355°F) for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake uncovered for another 15-20 minutes until tender.

4. Serve

   • Serve the stuffed calamari warm with plenty of the tomato sauce and crusty bread to soak it up.