TABELIAAUTHENTIC RECIPE
Paccheri con Ragù di Totani e ColaturaPaccheri with Squid Ragù and Colatura
An authentic Campanian pasta based on Neapolitan seafood ragù, made with squid and deepened with colatura. The ragù slowly simmers with tomatoes and white wine for 40 minutes before gaining the depth of colatura. The large hollows of paccheri hold the ragù, releasing concentrated savory flavor in every bite.
AUTHENTICITY SCORE
Authenticity Score
This is the standard recipe, exactly as it’s made where it comes from — the highest Authenticity Score possible. Substituting ingredients changes this score; the app shows exactly how, ingredient by ingredient.
Ingredients (4 servings)
- Paccheri, large smooth pasta tubesUse the smooth, unridged type. Do not substitute rigatoni.400 g
- Totani (flying squid)Remove innards and cartilage and wash. Cut the mantle into 2cm squares and the tentacles into chunks.600 g
- Canned whole tomatoesCrush by hand as you add them.400 g
- Colatura di aliciAdd after the braise is finished and the heat is off, as heating dissipates its aroma.20 ml
- Dry white wine150 ml
- OnionFinely chopped.1 onion
- GarlicFinely chopped.3 cloves
- Extra virgin olive oil60 ml
- Flat-leaf parsleyFinely chopped, for finishing.1 bunch
- Dried chili pepperCut into thin rings.1 chili
Method
Prepare the squid
- 1 Wash the squid and remove the innards and cartilage.
- 2 Cut the mantle into 2cm squares and the tentacles into chunks.
- 3 Pat dry with paper towels.
- 4 Cut the chili into thin rings.
Sear the squid
- 1 Finely chop the onion and 3 garlic cloves.
- 2 Put the olive oil, onion and garlic in a heavy pot and sauté over medium heat.
- 3 When the onion is translucent, after 8–10 minutes, add the squid and sear over high heat for 2–3 minutes.
Deglaze with white wine
- 1 Pour in the white wine and cook off the alcohol over high heat for 2–3 minutes.
- 2 Stir while scraping the flavorful browned residue from the pot bottom with a wooden spatula.
Simmer the ragù with tomatoes
- 1 Meanwhile(While sautéing) Begin boiling water in a large pot, with 10g salt per 1L water.
- 2 Add the whole tomatoes, crushing them by hand, and the chili.
- 3 Simmer uncovered over low to medium heat for 40–45 minutes.
- 4 Add a little water if too much liquid evaporates during cooking.
Ready when
The ragù is ready when concentrated and the squid is tender.
Season with colatura
- 1 Turn off the heat, add the colatura and stir.
- 2 Check the salt seasoning, adding little extra because colatura is salty.
Cook and dress the paccheri
- 1 Add the paccheri to the prepared boiling salted water and cook for 1 minute less than indicated.
- 2 Reserve 50ml cooking water.
- 3 Add the pasta to the ragù and mix, letting it meld for 1–2 minutes while adjusting the consistency with cooking water.
- 4 Finely chop the parsley, scatter over and serve.
About this dish
In Naples, having ragù at Sunday lunch is a culture in itself. Alongside meat ragù, substantial seafood sauces have long been enjoyed in coastal homes and trattorias.
Paccheri are large Neapolitan pasta tubes whose presence lends weight to a festive or weekend lunch. Paired with squid ragù, they create the abundance characteristic of a port-city table.
Adding Cetara colatura creates a contemporary meeting between Campania’s coastal preservation traditions and Neapolitan pasta culture. Today it is regarded as a strongly regional dish that gives greater depth to seafood pasta.
Bring the full course home next weekend.
Bring every dish to the table at its best.
Choose the dishes you want to cook, and Chef Authen handles the shopping list and the day-of schedule. The Tabelia app turns everything from starter to main into one coordinated course in your kitchen.
- One shopping listBuilt automatically from your menu and any substitutions, ready to check off.
- One timelineEvery dish’s waiting and cooking time combined into a single schedule.
- Answers beyond the recipeFrom judging the heat to adapting on the fly, Chef Authen answers with concrete criteria, not guesses.