Our family enjoys eating seafood of all kinds and we eat fish at least once per week.  Calamari (or squid) is one of those dishes that for some reason we usually only make around Christmas.  I found a recipe for Baked Squid with Garlic-Anchovy Pasta in a Food and Wine Magazine in December of 1994.  I typed up the recipe and use a printed version that is ink and food stained from years of  pulling it out of my recipe box.  Since I found the recipe in a December issue of a magazine, I tend to make this dish around the same time every year.  But, our daughter Katy is home for a week and requested the dish.  It did not fail us this evening.  It was perfect with a light salad, crisp white wine and a rare sit down meal on our back porch with all five of us present! I am happy to report that our local grocery store carries frozen cleaned squid with bodies and tentacles separated.  It is very easy to defrost and slice the bodies into rings and cut the tentacles in half or thirds if they are large.  If you can only find them whole, they are not that difficult to clean and cut – it just takes time.  A quick google search for instructions will help make it easier.  I  rinse thepieces in a strainer after slicing them and removing any cartilage or tough pieces.  I like to dry them off by placing all pieces into a towel to remove excess moisture before adding breadcrumbs and seasonings into a bowl. slicing the squid bodies and tentacles place dripping wet calamari pieces onto a towl to remove excess moisture. Tonight I made 2 lbs for five of us – but we have some leftover.  One pound just isn’t quite enough for five.  It is important to get oven temperature up to 450 so that the calamari has a chance to cook quickly and the breadcrumbs get a nice brown color and crunchy texture.  If you have a spout on an olive oil container, it’s best to drizzle the oil over the squid lightly so it touches all pieces, rather than pool in sections of the pan. squid with breadcrumbs, oregano, salt and pepper olive oil, anchovy paste and garlic ready to heat up If you are not used to using anchovy paste, please don’t be afraid of it.  It may smell fishy, but the flavor it adds to the dish is really exceptional!  It can usually be found in the ethnic foods aisle in your grocery store.  Be sure to watch the heat on your burner when you heat the oil, garlic and anchovy paste.  The garlic will burn or brown easily and give off a bitter flavor. baked calimari ready to toss with the pasta and anchovy garlic sauce. When boiling the pasta, please be sure to use plenty of water and salt.  Last, don’t forget the lemon.  It makes all the difference to the flavor when added just before eating. Baked Squid with Garlic-Anchovy Pasta Ingredients 1 1/2 lbs cleaned squid bodes sliced into rings and tentacles halved if large 1 cup dried breadcrumbs 1 tsp. oregano, crumbled 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper salt 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbs. olive oil 1 large garlic clove, minced 1 tsp anchovy paste 1/2 lb. to 1 lb. dried capellini (angel hair pasta) 1 Tbs. unsalted Butter lemon wedges for serving Instructions Preheat oven to 450′ Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  In a large bowl, toss the squid with breadcrumbs, oregano, pepper and 1 tsp. salt.  Spread the squid in a large baking pan in a single layer.  Sprinkle with any leftover breadcrumbs then drizzle 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbs olive oil over the top, trying to drizzel oil on every piece of squid.  Bake 10 miinutes or until the squid is golden brown and crunchy. Meanwhile in a small sauce pan, whisk the garlic and anchovy paste into the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil.  Bring to a simmer and stir over low heat.  Do not let the mixture brown. Add the pasta into the boiling water and cook for 5 to 7 minutes as the instructions dictate.  Drain pasta and place it in a serving bowl.  Add anchovy sauce and the butter, tossing to coat. Top the pasta and sauce mixture with the baked squid, spreading the squid evenly over the pasta.  Serve with plenty of lemon wedges for a light and fresh taste. Serves 4 Preparation time about 30 minutes total Originally published May 28, 2015