Step 1

Clean the squid. Pull the squid's head and everything that comes with it. Insert your fingers into the squid's body and remove all that's inside. Dip the squid in a bowl with cold water and remove the membrane from its skin. Just grab hold of it and pull it it's easy to come off.

Step 2

Cut the squid. Cut the head between the legs and the eyes. Discard the eyes and teeth keeping only the legs. Cut the body into 2-2,5 cm thick (¾ to 1-inch) thick rings. Cut the bottom in half to get 2 flat triangles.

Step 3

Rinse the squid well and place it in a strainer.

Step 4

Heat 5 tablespoons of olive oil in a saute pan with a lid.

Step 5

Add the onion and garlic and saute over medium heat.

Step 6

Add the tomato paste and cook for a minute stirring with a wooden spoon.

Step 7

Add the grated tomatoes and bell pepper. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until the tomato drains and starts to stick to the bottom.

Step 8

Pour in 3 cups of hot water. Add also the passata, bay leaf, and paprika.

Step 9

Simmer the sauce for 10 minutes over medium heat uncovered. Meanwhile, cook the squid.

Step 10

Heat 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a non-stick frying pan.

Step 11

Pan-fry the squid in two batches. Season lightly with salt and pepper while pan-frying and flip to get a golden color on both sides. Add each batch to the sauce using cooking tongs.

Step 12

Pour a splash of hot water into the pan where you cooked the squid and deglaze it with a wooden spoon. Pour this into the sauce.

Step 13

Simmer covered for 30 to 40 minutes over medium heat. Or until squid feels tender when you prick it with a knife and the sauce is thickened. It may take up to 50 minutes if using a very large squid.

Step 14

Stir in the parsley and lemon juice 2 minutes before removing from the heat.

Step 15

Serve over steamed rice or boiled pasta with a sprinkle of cayenne pepper or hot red pepper flakes if you like spicy.