Seppie e Piselli Abruzzesi
Tender cuttlefish slow-cooked with sweet garden peas, garlic, white wine, and crushed tomatoes, known along the Teramo coast as seppie e pisill.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 65 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 390 kcal
Equipment
- •Heavy-bottomed casserole or terracotta pot
- •Chef's knife
- •Cutting board
- •Wooden spoon
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 390 kcal
- fat
- 18 g
- carbs
- 16 g
- fibre
- 5 g
- protein
- 34 g
- calories
- 390 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Rinse the cleaned cuttlefish thoroughly and slice the bodies into ribbons and tentacles into bite-sized pieces.
- 2
Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a heavy-bottomed casserole or terracotta pot over medium heat.
- 3
Add the crushed garlic cloves and sliced chilli, sizzling gently until aromatic and pale golden.
- 4
Add the cuttlefish pieces and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until they turn opaque and release liquid.
- 5
Pour in the dry white wine and let it bubble briskly until the sharp alcohol scent evaporates completely.
- 6
Stir in the crushed tomatoes, sea salt, and black pepper, bringing the sauce to a gentle simmer.
- 7
Cover with a lid, lower the heat, and simmer gently for 25 minutes until the cuttlefish starts softening.
- 8
Tip in the peas and stir thoroughly to submerge them into the rich red sauce.
- 9
Simmer uncovered for another 12 to 15 minutes until the peas are tender and the cuttlefish is meltingly soft.
- 10
Remove from the heat, discard the whole garlic cloves if preferred, and fold through the fresh chopped parsley.
- 11
Rest for 5 minutes before ladling warm into shallow bowls.
Chef's tips
Simmer the cuttlefish very gently over low heat, as excessive heat will cause the flesh to seize and turn rubbery. If using fresh garden peas, test for tenderness before finishing; older peas may require five extra minutes of simmering.
Ingredient substitutions
- cuttlefish → cleaned whole squid (calamari), reducing the initial simmering time by 10 minutes
- Trebbiano d'Abruzzo → any crisp, dry Italian white wine such as Pecorino or Verdicchio
- fresh shelled peas → petite sweet frozen garden peas, added directly without thawing
Storage
Store cooled leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Reheating
Reheat gently in a covered saucepan over low heat with a splash of water until steaming hot.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Boiling the stew rapidly, which toughens the delicate cuttlefish fibres.
- •Adding delicate young peas too early, causing them to turn grey and mushy.
- •Failing to reduce the white wine fully, which leaves an overly sharp, acidic flavour.
Serving suggestions
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