Calamarata Pasta with Stewed Cuttlefish and Peas

1. If your cuttlefish are fresh, you can ask your fishmonger to clean them. If not you will need to clean them. Cut below the eyes to remove the tentacles and gently pull the head out along with the guts, taking care not to burst the ink sack. Reserve the ink sac for another recipe or just discard it.
2. Rinse in cold water to wash away any sand or spilled ink. Pull out the beak and discard, and pull the outer membrane from the body (you may need to aid your grip with a tea towel). You’ll be left with a bright, brilliant white tube and the tentacles. Cut everything into small pieces.
3. Even frozen cuttlefish may have to have the head, membrane and beak removed.
4. Peel and chop the onion. Clean the tomatoes and cut them in half. Wash and chop the parsley. Shell the peas if using fresh ones. Heat the vegetable broth.
5. Heat the olive oil in a deep pan or skillet. I used my Dutch oven. Add the onion, to the oil and soften it. Then add the cuttlefish and a ladle of broth. When the liquid has reduced, add the white wine. When all the alcohol has evaporated and you no longer smell the wine, add the tomatoes and peas (if using fresh).
6. Let the flavors blend together without adding more liquid, stirring over a low heat for about 10 minutes. Then add the passata and the peas (if using frozen). Add salt as needed and continue cooking until the cuttlefish becomes tender (about 20 minutes depending on the size). Add more broth if the sauce dries out.
7. In the meantime put a pot of water on to boil for the pasta. Add salt once it starts to boil and bring to the boil again.
8. Cook the pasta al dente according to the instructions on the packet. When the pasta is ready, drain it and add to the sauce. (I transferred the sauce from my Dutch oven to a deep skillet before doing this). Mix everything together well, sprinkle with fresh parsley and cook for another minute. 
9. Serve immediately with more fresh parsley if required. 

For sauce without tomatoes.

1. Instead of tomatoes you can use more broth to cook the cuttlefish and peas. Then add a little pasta cooking water to the sauce before adding the drained pasta.