White Beans with Squid, Arugula, and Cherry Tomatoes

Very cool recipe. I can get locally caught squid at my market for $2/lb, so this was a really cheap and elegant, light dinner. Even without experience, cleaning the squid was easy. I cooked it in a hot oiled skillet, added the white beans, oregano and parsley, some raw shallot, chili flakes, and tomatoes to warm, then served on a bed of arugula, drizzled with lemon juice, balsamic, more olive oil, and lots of pepper. Paired well with a red Burgundy, 2009 Cote Chalonnaise.

• BlakeY

• Northern California

• 4/10/2011

This is a very pretty and very tasty salad! I cut the squid before I steamed, doubt it made any difference. Had made cannellini beans w/garlic and sage the day before. Probably used more cherry tomatoes and arugula than called for, but I was using up before I went to Farmer's Market that weekend. Will make again, as long as husband continues to clean the squid!

• liafinney

• Honolulu, HI

• 7/6/2010

Fabulous salad! I was trying to find a calamari salad like one we had in La Jolla last year and this one is wonderful. Made this last night and was not sold on it - but I had the rest for lunch today and after it had chilled overnight it was perfect - definitely recommend chilling it for at least a couple of hours or overnight before serving. The texture of the beans and calamari was much improved, and the arugula was tamed too. I used frozen calamari bodies and tenacles, canned beans and less than half the amount of olive oil it calls for and it was fabulous. This is a very impressive salad, can't wait to serve it for guests for a nice lunch or starter salad for dinner, with the added plus of being able to make it ahead of time.

• Gardeninggirl

• Wake Forest, NC

• 6/18/2010

Very delicious, beautiful presentation, easy and fast to prepare! Definitely will make this again. It's pretty enough to serve at a dinner party as a first course. I used two full bunches of arugula instead of just 3 ounces so it wouldn't wilt down so much from the lemon juice. I also used canned cannellini beans but I'm sure the dish would taste even better if I'd started with dry beans. Next time I might add a dash of hot sauce to the dressing, or maybe some crushed red pepper flakes. Finely sliced sweet red onion would probably be a good addition as well.

• miriammarcus

• New York, NY

• 2/25/2010

I loved this combination of flavors. I used canned beans so added a minced clove of garlic - I sort of marinated the steamed squid and the canned beans with lemon and garlic to get the flavor of the homemade beans. It was a smash hit for a dinner party. This will be a go-to recipe for me.

• Anonymous

• Austin, Texas

• 10/18/2009