Stuffed squid in tomato sauce (Calamari ripieni)

1. Clean the squid: pull out the head with the tentacles, remove the innards and clear quill from the body and peel off the outer membrane; cut the tentacles off below the eyes and chop them finely.

2. In a frying pan, fry the chopped tentacles with half the garlic in 1 tablespoon of olive oil for 2-3 minutes, then mix in a bowl with the breadcrumbs, grated parmesan, egg, parsley, salt and pepper.

3. Spoon the filling into the squid bodies, only two-thirds full (they shrink while cooking), and close the opening with a cocktail stick.

4. In a wide pan, brown the stuffed squid all over in the remaining olive oil for 3-4 minutes, add the rest of the garlic and the chilli flakes, then pour in the white wine and let it evaporate.

5. Add the passata and half a glass of water, cover and simmer over low heat for 30-35 minutes until the squid is easily pierced with a fork.

6. Remove the cocktail sticks, cut the squid in half or into rings and serve with the sauce and fresh bread - the sauce is also delicious with spaghetti.

Tip: Squid is tender either after very short cooking (1-2 minutes) or long cooking (30+ minutes) - anything in between is rubbery; here the long braise wins.