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Seppie con piselli
Cuttlefish with peas
Seppie coi piselli: Roman cuttlefish braised soft with peas and tomato
Seppie coi piselli is a Friday dish in Rome and across Lazio, eaten in spring when the first sweet peas arrive and on meatless days through the year. The cuttlefish braises slowly with onion, garlic and tomato until it is so tender a spoon cuts it, and the peas go in late so they stay bright and sweet in a thick, rosy sauce. A portion has about 34 g of protein, mainly from the cuttlefish with a little from the peas, for around 300 kcal. Romans add a splash of white wine; here a little stock sharpened with vinegar gives the same lift without alcohol. The common mistake is stopping halfway: cuttlefish is tender after 2 minutes or after 40, but rubbery anywhere in between, so keep braising until a knife slides straight through. Chef's tip: keep the cuttlefish ink sacs out of the sauce for this dish; a single burst one turns the peas grey.
- Total time
- 65 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ lb cuttlefishcleaned weight, cut into 2 cm strips; ask the fishmonger to clean it
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onionfinely chopped
- 1 clove garliccrushed
- ¼ tsp chilli flakes (optional)
- ½ cup vegetable stockmixed with the vinegar, in place of white wine
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 10 ½ oz tomato passata
- 14 oz peasfresh or frozen
- ¾ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ⅓ oz flat-leaf parsleychopped
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Rinse 1 ¾ lb cuttlefish and pat it very dry with kitchen paper so it sizzles rather than stews when it goes in the pan.
Step 2: Warm 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil in a wide pan over a medium heat, add 1 onion and cook until soft and translucent.
7 minStep 3: Add 1 clove garlic and ¼ tsp chilli flakes, stir for 30 seconds, then add the cuttlefish. Cook over a medium-high heat, stirring, until it turns opaque and white and the pan juices bubble.
4 minStep 4: Pour in ½ cup vegetable stock with 1 tbsp white wine vinegar and let it bubble for 2 minutes until it has mostly evaporated.
2 minStep 5: Stir in 10 ½ oz tomato passata, ¾ tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper. Cover and simmer gently over a low heat, stirring now and then, adding a splash of water if it gets thick.
30 minStep 6: Add 14 oz peas, cover again and cook until the peas are tender and the cuttlefish is so soft a knife slides straight through it. If it still resists, give it 10 minutes more.
10 minStep 7: Stir through ⅓ oz flat-leaf parsley and serve hot with bread, or leave it to rest 10 minutes; it tastes even better warm than piping hot.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 300 kcal
- Protein
- 34 g
- Carbs
- 17 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does seppie con piselli take?
- About 65 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 50 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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