Squid Stuffed with Ricotta and Spinach

8 lg Squid (about 2 pounds)

1 Medium-sized onion, minced

1 Garlic clove, minced

2 tb Olive oil

1 tb Unsalted butter

1/2 lb Fresh spinach, trimmed of

-stems and washed, or 1/2 -package frozen, Thawed 2/3 lb Ricotta

1 Egg

1 tb Chopped Italian parsley

-leaves Coarse salt and freshly -ground pepper to taste 1/2 c Dry white wine

2 c Canned Italian tomatoes

1 Lemon, quartered

SQUID STUFFED WITH RICOTTA AND SPINACH Do not overstuff the squid or they may split while they cook. Rice and braised fennel go well with this dish. 1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Clean the squid and chop the

tentacles finely. Set them aside. 2. Saute the onion and the garlic in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and the

butter until the onion is soft. Add the tentacles and cook for 2 minutes. Add the spinach and saute, stirring, until it has wilted. Drain off any extra liquid and cool the spinach. 3. In a mixing bowl, combine the ricotta, egg, parsley, and the cooled

spinach mixture. Mix thoroughly and season with salt, pepper, and hot pepper flakes. 4. Stuff the mixture loosely into the squid and close the openings

securely with a toothpick. 5. Use the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to grease a rectangular

baking dish large enough to hold the squid comfortably in one layer. Arrange the squid in the dish and add the wine and tomatoes. Season with salt, pepper and more hot pepper flakes, if you wish. 6. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the squid is tender and the sauce

has thickened. If there is too much sauce, raise the oven temperature and allow the liquid to reduce. If there is too little, add more white wine. Serve the squid with lemon quarters. Yield: 4 servings.