TL;DR
Get kitchen gear delivered free with Prime
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
- Member-only deals all year
La Cucina Italiana published a recipe for calamari in zimino on October 9, 2026, adapting the Ligurian and Tuscan preparation with spinach in place of Swiss chard. The recipe serves four and takes about an hour, with calamari braised alongside spinach and tomato, then finished with toasted pine nuts.
La Cucina Italiana published a recipe for calamari in zimino on October 9, 2026, using spinach instead of the Swiss chard traditionally associated with the Ligurian and Tuscan dish. The seafood main course serves four and is listed as taking about one hour to prepare and cook.
The recipe calls for 1.4 kilograms of calamari, 800 grams of cleaned spinach and 120 grams of tomato passata. Other ingredients include 70 grams of pine nuts, garlic, dry white wine, extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. The publication describes the result as a delicate but flavorful main course and says it uses calamari cut into relatively large pieces so the seafood remains prominent.
Preparation begins by cleaning the calamari, separating the bodies from the tentacles, cutting the bodies into wide strips and chopping the tentacles into smaller pieces. A sliced garlic clove and 50 grams of pine nuts are sautéed in three tablespoons of oil; the calamari is added, followed by a splash of dry white wine. Once the wine evaporates, the cook adds the passata and gradually stirs in chopped spinach as it wilts.
The pan is covered and the ingredients cook together over low heat for about 30 minutes, then are seasoned with salt and pepper. The remaining pine nuts are toasted separately and added at the end. The recipe gives these quantities and timings but does not provide nutritional values or detailed instructions for cleaning the squid.
A Spinach Variation on Zimino
The recipe offers home cooks a specific variation on a regional Italian preparation: it keeps the combination of seafood, tomato and greens while substituting spinach for Swiss chard. La Cucina Italiana characterizes the change as producing a milder flavor. That description is the publication’s culinary assessment, not a reported comparison test.
The dish also makes the traditional format adaptable across ingredients. The source describes zimino as a way of braising legumes, fish and shellfish, rather than a single fixed recipe. Here, substantial pieces of calamari are cooked with greens and passata, giving readers a seafood-focused version that can be made in a covered pan in roughly an hour.
For readers planning a meal, the stated serving size and ingredient weights provide a practical scale: the recipe is designed for four portions and uses 1.4 kilograms of calamari alongside 800 grams of spinach. The publication does not state whether those weights are before or after trimming the calamari, so shoppers may need to account for cleaning when buying it.
calamari cleaning and preparation kit
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
The Regional Dish Behind the Recipe
La Cucina Italiana identifies zimino with Ligurian and Tuscan cuisine and describes its familiar base as Swiss chard and tomatoes. Dried mushrooms are sometimes included, according to the publication. The preparation is used to braise ingredients such as legumes, fish and shellfish, allowing the term to cover different versions rather than one unchanging list of ingredients.
The October 9 recipe changes the greens to spinach and pairs them with calamari. The source says calamari are more prized than flying squid and explains that the bodies are cut into wide strips while the tentacles are chopped smaller. It does not specify the species or origin of the calamari in this particular recipe.
The publication points readers to other zimino recipes, including stuffed cuttlefish, potato ravioli with clams and chickpeas. Those related dishes show the range of ingredients used in the preparation, but the source provides no further details about their ingredients or publication dates here.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Details the Recipe Leaves Open
The recipe provides a total time of one hour and a low-heat cooking period of about 30 minutes, but it does not divide the remaining time among cleaning, chopping, sautéing and other preparation. It also does not give visual or texture cues for deciding when the calamari is cooked, beyond the stated timing.
Other practical details are not specified: the type or size of calamari, whether the listed 1.4 kilograms is a whole or cleaned weight, the amount of wine, and the heat level for toasting the pine nuts. The source describes the spinach substitution as milder in flavor but does not provide a direct tasting comparison. No nutritional information, cost estimate or storage guidance is included.
These omissions do not change the listed ingredient quantities or method, but they may affect how readers shop for and execute the recipe. The publication’s directions are the available basis for the dish; additional testing or cooking notes are not included in the source material.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Cooking the Published Version
The recipe is available from La Cucina Italiana as published on October 9, 2026. Readers following its method would prepare the calamari and spinach, cook them with garlic, pine nuts, wine and passata, and finish the dish with toasted pine nuts. The listed yield is four servings.
The source does not announce a follow-up, a revised version or additional reporting about the recipe. Any further guidance on ingredient sourcing, substitutions, nutrition or cooking cues would need to come from separate material; none is stated in the report provided.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Key Questions
What is calamari in zimino?
It is a calamari dish prepared in the style of zimino, which La Cucina Italiana describes as a Ligurian and Tuscan braise commonly made with Swiss chard and tomatoes. This version uses spinach and tomato with the seafood.
How long does the recipe take, and how many does it serve?
La Cucina Italiana lists a total time of one hour and a yield of four servings. The covered mixture cooks over low heat for about 30 minutes.
What ingredients are needed?
The main ingredients are 1.4 kilograms of calamari, 800 grams of cleaned spinach and 120 grams of tomato passata. The recipe also uses pine nuts, garlic, dry white wine, extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper.
Why does this version use spinach?
The recipe substitutes spinach for the Swiss chard commonly used in zimino. La Cucina Italiana says the change gives the dish a slightly milder flavor.
When are the pine nuts added?
Some pine nuts are sautéed with sliced garlic and olive oil at the start. The remaining nuts are toasted separately and added as a finishing touch after the calamari and spinach have cooked.
Source: rss
Halloween Picks
halloween
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
