According to an ancient Neapolitan story, once upon a time the great playwright Eduardo De Filippo, hungry after a long theatrical tour, decided to prepare a quick spaghetti dish. But he had a few things in the pantry: pasta, a little salt, a little parsley.
So he had the brilliant intuition: what is it that gives the typical sea aroma to a plate of pasta? The fish, of course; but above all parsley. That fresh and unmistakable scent of summer dishes all condensed in this small spontaneous plant. The scent of that simple pasta dish was so intense that Eduardo called it "spaghetti with escaped clams". In fact, the clams weren't there, but the parsley evoked their aromas and flavors. The scents of the calamarata evoke the same sea reminiscences.
Ph. Carolina Fragapane
Here we have the squid, sure. It did not escape like the famous Eduardo’s clams. Yet, even in this dish, the parsley gives a strong and aromatic touch.
Few ingredients, according to the tradition of Neapolitan popular cuisine: squid cut into rounds sautéed with oil, garlic and chilli, then blended with white wine. We add the tomato and, finally, the parsley. Then the pasta. And here is the reason why this dish is called calamarata: not for the squid, but for the ring shape of the pasta itself, also defined by the Neapolitans as "half pacchero".
Ph. Carolina Fragapane
A recipe that comes from the streets of Naples lying on the sea, between the district of Santa Lucia and the rocks of Mergellina that rise towards the profile of Posillipo. Basic dish but rich in flavor, ideal for those summer Sundays to combine with a fresh and savory white wine and to be enjoyed by the sea.