Ingredients
- Kosher salt
- 1 cup Israeli couscous
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts
- 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons currants
- 1/4 cup caperberries
- 1 tablespoon hot red pepper flakes
- 1/4 to 1/2 white wine
- 2 cups basic tomato sauce, recipe follows
- 1 1/2 pounds cleaned calamari, tubes cut into 1/4-inch rounds, tentacles halved
- 5 scallions, thinly sliced, reserve some for garnish
- Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon of salt. Set up an ice bath nearby. Cook the couscous in the boiling water for 2 minutes, then drain and immediately plunge it into the ice bath. Once cooled, remove and set aside to dry on a plate.
Ina 12 to 14-inch saute pan, heat the oil until just smoking. Add the pine nuts, garlic, currants, caperberries and red pepper flakes, and saute until the pine nuts are golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add the white wine and tomato sauce and bring to a simmer. Add the couscous and bring to a boil. Add the calamari, stir to mix, and simmer for 2 or 3 minutes, or until the calamari is just cooked and completely opaque. Toss in the scallions. Season with salt and pepper, pour into a large warm bowl, sprinkle with the reserved scallions, drizzle with olive oil and serve immediately.
Basic tomato sauce:
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 Spanish onion, 1/4-inch dice
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves, or 1 tablespoon dried
- 1/2 medium carrot, finely grated
- 2 (28-ounce) cans peeled whole tomatoes, crushed by hand and juices reserved
- Salt
In a 3-quart saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft and light golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the thyme and carrot and cook 5 minutes more, until the carrot is quite soft. Add the tomatoes and juice and bring to a boil, stirring often. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes until as thick as hot cereal. Season with salt and serve. This sauce holds 1 week in the refrigerator or up to 6 months in the freezer.
















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By bonnieannhas07
Weston, 45
on February 06, 2013
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Simply excellent! I have substituded shrimp and lobster and it is just as good. I take the easy way out and use a really good bottled sauce. This is my go to company meal.
By delawarechef
delaware
on September 07, 2011
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WOW! What a great flavor for the sauce. Never thought currants could add so much flavor. I'm going to try it again for the third time and substitute fresh gulf shrimp. Having company this weekend and this would be perfect to serve. Thank you Mario!
p.s. I find my caperberries in the international farmers markets.
By markbothwell
Sultan, WA
on July 09, 2011
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This recipe looks promising, but..... Are these red currants or black? Fresh or dried?
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