• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

The Pasta Project logo

  • Recipe Index
  • Italy’s Regions
    • Abruzzo
    • Aosta Valley (Valle d’Aosta or Val d’Aosta)
    • Basilicata
    • Campania
    • Calabria
    • Emilia-Romagna
    • Friuli Venezia Giulia
    • Lazio (Latium)
    • Liguria
    • Lombardy
    • Le Marche Region; the next Tuscany
    • Molise, Italy’s second smallest region.
    • Piedmont-Piemonte
    • Puglia
    • Sardinia
    • Sicily, the food and the pasta!
    • Trentino-Alto Adige (South Tyrol)
    • Tuscany (Toscana) the Food and Pasta.
    • Umbria, the green heart of Italy
    • Veneto
  • Pasta and recipes by region
    • Abruzzo
    • Aosta Valley (Valle d’Aosta)
    • Basilicata
    • Calabria
    • Campania
    • Emilia-Romagna
    • Friuli Venezia Giulia
    • Lazio (Latium)
    • Liguria
    • Lombardy
    • Le Marche (Marche region)
    • Molise
    • Piedmont-Piemonte
    • Puglia
    • Sardinia
    • Sicily
    • Trentino-Alto Adige/South Tyrol
    • Tuscany-Toscana
    • Umbria
    • Veneto
  • Pasta Types
    • Anelli or Anelletti pasta rings.
    • Bigoli Pasta from Veneto
    • Biricci pasta
    • Bucatini; the spaghetti with a hole!
    • Busiate
    • Caccavelle Giant Pasta Shells from Gragnano, Naples.
    • Calamarata pasta from Southern Italy.
    • Candele: Pasta candles
    • Cannelloni or Manicotti
    • Casarecce pasta from Sicily.
    • Cavatelli Pasta from Southern Italy
    • Conchiglie, Conchigliette, Conchiglioni.
    • Corzetti or Croxetti Pasta from Liguria.
    • Dischi Volanti Pasta (Messicani)
    • Ditaloni, Ditali, Ditalini
    • Elicoidali
    • Farfalle pasta: Butterflies and Bow Ties
    • Fettuccine pasta (lisce e rigati)
    • Fileja pasta from Calabria
    • Fresine pasta from Gragnano
    • Fusilli Pasta; long, short, homemade and hollow.
      • Fusilli Bucati Corti (short hollow fusilli)
    • Garganelli pasta from Romagna (Emilia-Romagna)
    • Gargati Pasta from Veneto.
    • Gigli or Campanelle pasta
    • Gomiti Elbow Pasta, a pasta with many names
    • Italian Gnocchi; Potato gnocchi and family
      • Canederli: Italian Bread Dumplings from South Tirol
    • Gramigna: Pasta from Emilia-Romagna.
    • Grattoni-grattini (pasta for soup)
    • Intrecci pasta.
    • Lagane pasta from Southern Italy
    • Lasagne or lasagna.
    • Linguine pasta from Liguria
    • Lombrichelli, hand rolled pasta from Lazio
    • Lorighittas Pasta from Sardinia
    • Lumaconi (snail shell pasta)
    • Maccheroncini di Campofilone from Le Marche
    • Mafaldine (mafalda or reginette)
    • Malloreddus (Sardinian Gnocchi)
    • Maltagliati Pasta
    • Mezze Maniche Pasta (half-sleeves)
    • Occhi di Lupo (wolf’s eyes) Pasta
    • Orecchiette pasta
    • Paccheri
    • Pappardelle pasta from Tuscany
    • Passatelli Pasta from Emilia-Romagna
    • Penne
    • Pici pasta from Tuscany
    • Pizzoccheri (buckwheat pasta)
    • Radiatori (radiator shaped pasta)
    • Rigatoni, pasta with ridges.
    • Sagne Pasta from Abruzzo, Molise and Lazio.
    • Sardinian Fregola (fregula sarda)
    • Scialatielli pasta from Amalfi
    • Sedani rigati
    • Spaccatelle pasta from Sicily
    • Spaghetti
    • Spaghetti/Maccheroni alla Chitarra from Abruzzo
    • Strozzapreti
    • Tagliatelle
    • Tagliolini
    • Torchio Pasta (Maccheroni al Torchio)
    • Tortelli and Ravioli
      • Cjarsons ravioli from Friuli Venezia Giulia.
    • Trescatori Pasta from Abruzzo
    • Trofie pasta from Liguria
    • Tuscan Gnudi (ricotta and spinach gnocchi)
    • Vermicelli
    • Vesuvio pasta from Campania; shaped like a volcano!
    • Ziti and Zitoni Pasta
  • Pasta Recipes
    • Baked Pasta Recipes
    • Pasta with Poultry and Game
    • Pasta Salads and in Soups
    • Vegetarian Pasta dishes
    • Seafood & Lake Fish Pasta
    • Meat Pasta Dishes
    • Pesto and other pasta sauces
      • Alla Mediterranea (Mediterranean sauce and celebrations!)
      • Beetroot and Radicchio Pesto
      • Busiate with radicchio pesto
      • Busiate pasta with Trapanese pesto from Trapani
      • Casarecce with pumpkin and orange pesto
      • Roasted Red Pepper Pesto with Casarecce Pasta
      • Fusilli pasta with black olive pesto and tuna.
      • Long Fusilli Pasta with Pesto Calabrese
      • Matcha Pesto for Pasta
      • Pappardelle pasta with walnut sauce and black truffle shavings
      • Pesto Pasta Liguria with Potatoes and Green Beans
      • Pasta with pistachio pesto
      • Trofie Pasta with Rocket Pesto Recipe
      • Tuscan pici pasta all’etrusca with asparagus
    • Special & Favourite Pasta Recipes
      • Baked Pasta Roses
      • Cinnamon Butter Gnocchi: Recipe from Veneto
      • Gnocchi alla Romana
      • Lasagna bianca with mushrooms and burrata
      • Spaghetti al limone with ricotta, basil and lemon
      • Spaghetti/Maccheroni alla Chitarra with 4 meat ragu Abruzzese
      • Stuffed Lumaconi (Lumache) snail shell pasta
      • Pasta with Nduja
      • Pasta al forno (pasta bake the Italian way)
      • Ricotta Gnudi with Black Truffle.
      • Tagliolini with Taleggio and Black Truffle
  • Restaurants and Pasta Companies
    • Agriturismo Il Romitorio, Tuscania, Lazio
    • Restaurant Dei Cantoni, Longiano, Emilia-Romagna
    • Pasta Mancini: Pasta From Field to Fork.
    • The Best Italian Pasta Ever: Pastificio dei Campi
    • Organic Pasta Makers Girolomoni.
  • SHOP OUR ARTICLES
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipe Index
  • Italy’s Regions
  • Pasta and recipes by region
  • Pasta Types
  • Pasta Recipes
  • Restaurants and Pasta Companies
×

Home » Pasta Types » Calamarata pasta from Southern Italy.

January 10, 2017

Calamarata pasta from Southern Italy.

Calamarata Pasta and Calamari!

 

calamarata pasta

If you like seafood pasta dishes, especially with calamari (squid), mussels, shrimps etc, then calamarata is the pasta to make them with. As the name implies, calamarata takes its name from calamari. In fact, it is shaped like calamari rings. This pasta is normally a little thick and often with a slightly rough surface. It is similar to paccheri but shorter, and also comes from Southern Italy.  

La Calamarata.

Calamarata pasta is used in traditional pasta dishes in coastal Campania, Calabria and Sicily most especially, and needless to say, with calamari . In fact, the most well-known traditional pasta dish made with squid and this pasta in Campania is called ‘La Calamarata’, taking its name from the pasta itself.  The perfect La Calamarata has calamari rings which are more or less the same size and colour as the pasta!

La Calamarata pasta recipe

La calamarata made with black and plain calamarata pasta.

However  la Calamarata may also include other types of seafood (as long as there is calamari too!) and is often served ‘al cartoccio’. This means the last 5 minutes of cooking take place in the oven. The pasta and sauce are mixed together and wrapped in aluminium foil or baking paper packets. These are baked for 5 minutes in a hot oven and then served immediately. This is a great way to serve pasta when you have guests! Check out this recipe for seafood linguine al cartoccio to see how this is done.

calamarata pasta

Black calamarata pasta is coloured with cuttle fish ink.

Other ways of serving this calamari shaped pasta!

Calamarata pasta is also often served with other seafood such as ‘frutti di mare’ or fresh tuna as well as vegetable or vegetable and cheese sauces but rarely with meat sauces.

Calamarata pasta with swordfish and mussels

Calamarata pasta with swordfish and mussels.

In Sicily, calamarata is typically prepared with swordfish and pachino tomatoes, as well as with black rockfish and Bronte pistachios. Sicilians also like to eat this pasta with Sicilian pesto and almonds and with moscardini (musky octopus). In fact, there are quite a few wonderful and unusual southern Italian pasta recipes that can be made with this pasta and I’m looking forward to sharing some of these with you in the coming weeks.

Calamarata pasta with stewed cuttlefish and peas

Calamarata pasta with stewed cuttlefish and peas.

Where to find calamarata pasta.

Here in Italy, calamarata pasta can be found in both fresh and dry versions, although dry is more common and there is also a black version which has been coloured with cuttlefish ink. Production is nearly always using artisan bronze dies and the dough is made with only durum wheat and water and then dried slowly at low temperatures. Many well- known pasta companies make Calamarata. These include De Cecco, Di Martino, Rummo, Pastificio dei Campi and others.  If you can’t find this pasta locally you can try ordering it online. Today there are many Italian artisan pasta makers who will ship abroad. 

calamarata pasta

Recipes for Calamarata on The Pasta Project.

  1. with stewed cuttlefish and peas
  2. La Calamarata 
Italian Pasta Types - Calamarata
Calamarata - Italian Pasta Types

Filed Under: Calamarata, Campania, Pasta and recipes by region, Pasta Types, Sicily Tagged With: Calamarata, Campania, Sicily

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Helena says

    February 17, 2018 at 6:19 pm

    Hi! You have such great recipes ! LOVE it! Very delicious and tempting meals, will save your site 🙂

    Reply
    • admin says

      February 18, 2018 at 6:56 pm

      Thanks so much Helena! I’m happy you like the recipes here on The Pasta Project! I had a look at your blog too. Very very nice! I have liked you on Facebook! All the best from Verona! Jacqui

      Reply
  2. stare przepisy kulinarne says

    April 25, 2017 at 5:38 pm

    Very good website – bookmarked

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Buon giorno and welcome to my pasta project! My name is Jacqui. I’m originally a Londoner but in 2003 life’s journey brought me to the beautiful Veneto region of Italy where… Read More

Top Italian Food Blog

3rd place in Top 50 Italian Food Blogs Awards by Feedspot

Italian Food Blogs

Follow Me

Tags

Abruzzo baked pasta calabria Campania dried pasta Emilia Romagna fresh pasta fusilli gnocchi homemade pasta lamb lasagna lasagne Lazio Le Marche Liguria linguine meat pasta mushrooms Northern Italy orecchiette paccheri pancetta pesto porcini Puglia quick and easy ragu Ravioli ricotta saffron Sardinia sausage seafood Sicily Southern Italy spaghetti tagliatelle tagliolini Trentino-Alto Adige tuna Tuscany vegan vegetarian Veneto

Visit My Shop

In my weekly newsletters, I write about my life in Italy, Italian places, traditions and culture, as well as other foods not just pasta! As a Pasta Project subscriber you'll also get a FREE recipe e-book series! Plus links to the latest recipes and posts.

So, sign up now and get the first recipe e-books to download!

Privacy Policy

Footer

  • Legal disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Copyright & Disclaimer/ Terms of Use

Copyright © 2022 The Pasta Project on the Brunch Pro Theme