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Home » Recipes » Seafood & Lake Fish Pasta Recipes

Published: May 18, 2018 · Modified: Jun 28, 2018 by Jacqui

Paccheri with Calamari and Potato; recipe from Naples


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Paccheri with calamari and potato; a pasta recipe from Naples.

Paccheri with calamari and potato is a flavourful traditional pasta dish from Naples and the island of Ischia.

paccheri with calamari and potato

Paccheri con calamari e patate.

This paccheri with calamari and potato recipe originates from a style of cooking the Italians refer to as ‘la cucina povera’ (the kitchen of the poor or peasants). In the past, every country had its peasant class who, having little money to spend on food, made good use of seasonal ingredients they could grow or produce themselves. Pasta was a staple for the Italian peasants especially in the South. And cooking it with legumes or potatoes made a filling meal in times when meat was scarce or considered a luxury!

(click to go straight to recipe)

paccheri with calamari and potato

Today, many of these peasant recipes are still very popular. However, they are often adjusted to suit modern tastes. I’m not sure when people started to add seafood, such as calamari (squid). But, certainly the fishermen and those living by the coast have been doing so for a long time. Seafood is a very large part of traditional and contemporary Neapolitan cuisine.

ingredients for paccheri with calamari and potato

Different recipe versions

There are a number of versions of this paccheri with calamari and potato recipe, although most are very similar. Some people puree half of the potato to make the sauce creamier, others use a different type of squid which Italians call totani (European flying squid). There is also a traditional recipe for pasta with mussels and potato, which I’d love to try.

peeled and cut potatoes and cleaned calamari on a white plate

The herbs and spices in this recipe are probably fairly contemporary additions. But, the fresh peperoncino, garlic and parsley help to make this paccheri with calamari and potato extremely flavourful and appetizing. The calamari and potato condiment is really delicious and I think it’s great even without the pasta and can be eaten as a one plate meal by itself (although I probably shouldn’t say that!).

calamari and cherry tomatoes cooking in frying pan

The Pasta

Most Italian recipes recommend a normal serving of pasta as 100g per person. This paccheri with calamari and potato is more filling than many pasta dishes because of the presence of potato, so I would recommend a smaller quantity of pasta per person, especially if you are going to eat it with other dishes.

uncooked dried paccheri from Sicily

Paccheri is one of the most traditional Southern Italian pastas. It has an interesting history which you can read in my post about paccheri. The beautiful paccheri pasta I used I bought recently in Sicily. However, paccheri is widely available everywhere. It is the most popular pasta for this kind of recipe but you can also use calamarata, a wonderful calamari ring shaped pasta which also comes from Campania.

calamari, potatoes and cherry tomatoes in frying pan

It doesn’t take long to make.

This pasta and calamari recipe is pretty simple and doesn’t take long to make. Calamari shouldn’t be cooked for very long anyway, as it will become rubbery. And because the potatoes are cut into small cubes, they would get mushy if overcooked. The idea of pasta and potato together may sound strange to some. After all, it isn’t a very common combo outside of Italy. But, I’m sure once you try it, you’ll understand why the Italians like it so much.

Buon appetito!

(See the recipe on the next page. Just scroll down and click 2)

paccheri with calamari and potato in frying pan

Pages: Page 1 Page 2

More Seafood & Lake Fish Pasta Recipes

  • Smoked Salmon Pasta Rosettes (rolls)
  • Pasta with Breadcrumbs Recipe from Basilicata.
  • Anchovy Pasta Recipe from Naples
  • Italian Cold Spaghetti Salad with Shrimp

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sondria says

    June 02, 2018 at 1:08 am

    Peasant food is always the best food in every culture. Looking forward to trying this.

    Reply
    • admin says

      June 02, 2018 at 9:25 pm

      Thank you Sondria! I agree, dishes that originated in the kitchens of the peasant farmers in almost every country were made with fresh seasonal ingredients. That’s why they are so good and usually healthy! Enjoy! Jacqui

      Reply
  2. Mirlene says

    June 01, 2018 at 11:08 am

    Great looking dish. Will have to try this recipe soon.

    Reply
    • admin says

      June 02, 2018 at 9:31 pm

      Thanks so much Mirlene! I’m sure you’ll love this dish when you try it! It’s very tasty! Greetings from Verona! Jacqui

      Reply
  3. Casey says

    May 31, 2018 at 2:23 pm

    What a delicious looking dish! I wish I was in Italy again, I loved all of the food!

    Reply
    • admin says

      June 02, 2018 at 9:36 pm

      Thank you Casey! Yes Italian food is pretty amazing! Definitely spoiled for choice here! Hugs from Verona! Jacqui

      Reply
  4. Stephanie Simmons says

    May 31, 2018 at 2:06 pm

    This pasta dish looks so delicious! We love seafood too 🙂

    Reply
    • admin says

      June 02, 2018 at 9:37 pm

      Grazie Stephanie! Yes this is a really delicious dish! Seafood and pasta is a fab combo! All the best! Jacqui

      Reply
  5. Tara says

    May 30, 2018 at 6:17 pm

    Oh wow! Such a delicious pasta. I love the addition of potatoes to make it more filling. I don’t think I have used Paccheri yet but definitely need to soon!

    Reply
    • admin says

      June 02, 2018 at 9:38 pm

      Thanks so much Tara! Yes it’s amazing how good pasta and potatoes is! Paccheri is a great pasta. Hope you get to try it! Happy weekend dear! Jacqui

      Reply
  6. Heather says

    May 30, 2018 at 5:18 pm

    I love Italy and travel there often. I have yet to visit Naples, though, but this pasta makes me want to go there asap. What a delicious combo of calamari and potatoes 🙂

    Reply
    • admin says

      June 02, 2018 at 9:41 pm

      Grazie Heather! Naples is home to some fantastic food! And some of the best dried pasta is produced there. If you get to Naples, go to Gragnano. This is the home of the best dried pasta in Italy. Hugs! Jacqui

      Reply
  7. Lisa says

    May 30, 2018 at 4:39 pm

    My husband and I love calamari! We will have to try this soon!

    Reply
    • admin says

      June 02, 2018 at 9:42 pm

      Thanks Lisa! We love calamari too and it goes so well with pasta. Am sure you’ll love this dish! Baci! Jacqui

      Reply
  8. Stine Mari says

    May 30, 2018 at 12:32 pm

    I have never seen anything like this before! It looks really good. It would be interesting to try!

    Reply
    • admin says

      June 02, 2018 at 9:43 pm

      I’m sure you’ll love this dish Mari! The combo of calamari, pasta & potato is so tasty! All the best from Verona!

      Reply

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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…

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