Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts
• 2 tablespoons currants
• 1 tablespoon hot chili flakes
• 2 cups Basic Tomato Sauce (recipe follows)
• 1 cup Israeli couscous, blanched two minutes and refreshed
• 1 1/2 pounds cleaned calamari, tubes cut into 1/4 inch rounds, tentacles halved
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 Spanish onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 3 ounces virgin olive oil
• 4 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves (or 2 tablespoons dried leaves)
• 1/2 carrot, shredded finely
• 2 28-ounce cans of tomatoes, crushed and mixed
• Salt to taste

Instructions

1. In a 12 to 14-inch saute pan, heat oil until just smoking. Add pine nuts, currants and chili flakes and saute until nuts are just golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add caper berries, tomato sauce and couscous and bring to a boil. Add calamari, stir to mix and simmer two to three minutes, or until calamari is just cooked and completely opaque. Season with salt and pepper, pour into a large warm bowl, sprinkle with scallions and serve with warm Panelle.
2. To Make Tomato Sauce: Saute onion and garlic in olive oil over medium heat for about 10 minutes, or until translucent but not browned. Add thyme and carrot, cook 5 minutes over medium heat and add tomatoes. Bring to boil, lower heat to just bubbling and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt to taste and set aside.