Stuffed calamari in lemon butter sauce – these delicious calamari bites stuffed with creamy tuna filling, then cooked in a tangy lemon butter sauce, with capers, garlic and lots of fresh parsley, are the perfect fancy meal for a special occasion.

When you hear calamari, you most certainly imagine fried calamari rings, with some sort of dipping sauce. But when you look at the uncooked calamari tubes at the seafood counter, the first thing that pops in your head is – stuff them! Their cone-shape bodies just beg to be stuffed with something. Here I’ve filled them with a delicious tuna stuffing, and cooked them in a luscious garlic and lemon butter sauce. This dish is hearty enough as a main, accompanied by a side of veggies, or a green salad, but it can also serve as a great starter, due to the shape and size of the stuffed calamari parcels.

The first time I bought calamari tubes, they had their heads, tentacles, skin and all still attached. I had to behead them, remove the insides, and then de-skin them. That was more of a hassle than a challenge but still, the next time around, I searched for pre-cleaned calamari tubes. I found some beautiful, fresh-smelling, and perfectly cleaned ones at Wholefoods.

Stuffing possibilities are endless, and my first attempt was with some sort of sausage filling. Although they turned out good, the sausage was too overpowering and I couldn’t really tell that I’m eating calamari.

In this version, I chose tuna, mixed with mayonnaise, and flavored with green onions, garlic, lemon, capers and Parmesan cheese and it works great with the mild calamari taste. I quickly seared the stuffed calamari on all sides, then finished cooking them in a sauce of white wine, garlic, butter, lemon and capers. I served them with fresh parsley and squeezed some fresh lemon juice on top.





For best results when stuffing the calamari, choose bigger tubes – ones that are at least 3 inches long, if possible. Put the stuffing in a ziplock bag, cut a big opening on one end, and use it to pipe in the stuffing in the calamari tube (make sure the stuffing is smooth, by running it in a food processor). Alternatively, use a tiny spoon, or your fingers. Do not stuff them all the way as they puff up during the cooking, and may explode!

It’s not a weeknight meal, but if you have a special occasion coming (Valentine’s comes to mind) I highly recommend this treat! It comes out in about an hour or less, and you really can’t beat the fancy looks, or taste for that special occasion!

Enjoy with a glass of good, chilled dry white wine!