Pasta with Calamari and Sweet Pepper Olive Oil Sauce

This pasta dish was so light and flavorful I couldn’t stop eating it until my bowl was basically licked clean.  The flavors were a great balance of sweet and spice and the calamari was cooked perfectly.  I was also pleasantly surprised about how well it heated up today as leftovers for lunch.

Pasta with Calamari and Sweet Pepper Olive Oil Sauce

1/2 box rotini pasta, cooked according to package directions

4 large cloves garlic, minced

2 medium shallots, sliced

1/4 cup button mushrooms, sliced

1/2 large red bell pepper, diced

1 hot Hungarian pepper, diced

1 16 oz. bag frozen calamari, tentacles and bodies, with tubular pieces cut into rings

5 tbs. olive oil, divided

3 tbs. Brummel & Brown, divided

1 cup sweet white wine (I used Barefoot Muscato)

Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

4 green onions, sliced, whites and greens separated

Grated Parmesan cheese, to taste

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of Brummel & Brown over medium-high heat in a large sauté pan.  Add garlic, shallots and whites of green onions and sauté until light golden brown, roughly 2 minutes.  Add mushrooms and sauté until lightly browned, roughly 2 minutes.  Add red bell peppers and hot Hungarian peppers and sauté 2-4 minutes until their juices have been released, stirring frequently.  Add remainder of oil and Brummel & Brown and add calamari.  Sauté, stirring frequently, about 2 minutes or until calamari begins to shrink in size.  Add wine and turn heat to high, reducing by half.  This should take about 3 or 4 minutes, by which time the calamari will be fully cooked.  If you’re unsure, do a taste test.  Add the cooked rotini to the sauté pan and thoroughly combine with the vegetables and sauce.

Top bowls of pasta with green onion greens and grated Parmesan cheese and enjoy.