Easy Crispy Fried Calamari Recipe with Marinara Sauce
This fried calamari recipe is incredibly easy and produces crispy and delicious results. You no longer need to go to a restaurant to enjoy your favorite appetizer - fried calamari. Serve them with a homemade marinara sauce for the ultimate flavor experience. In this recipe, I will show you how to make a simple marinara sauce using shallots, garlic, diced tomatoes, and basil. While the sauce simmers, prepare the calamari by cleaning and slicing the tubes into rings. Dredge the calamari in flour and fry in preheated oil until golden and crispy. Season with salt and serve with lemon juice and the homemade marinara sauce. Enjoy this delectable dish as an appetizer or main course.
Ingredients:
- 2 small shallots
- 2 garlic cloves
- Olive oil
- 28 ounces diced tomatoes
- Salt
- Black pepper
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 stem of basil
- 1 pound calamari tubes with tentacles
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- White pepper
- Lemon juice
Cooking steps:
- Slice the shallots and garlic.
- Heat olive oil in a saucepan and sauté the shallots and garlic.
- Add diced tomatoes, salt, black pepper, sugar, and basil stem to the pot.
- Let the marinara sauce simmer for one hour.
- Slice the calamari tubes into rings, making them half an inch thick.
- Rinse the calamari under cold water and remove excess water.
- Dredge the calamari in seasoned flour.
- Preheat oil to 350°F and fry the calamari in batches for 2-3 minutes.
- Season the fried calamari with salt while hot.
- Squeeze lemon juice over the calamari and serve with the homemade marinara sauce.
