Shrimp & Crab Stuffed Calamari Alfredo

Ingredients:

• 3 ea. – Portico® Imperial Calamari Tubes – SUPC: 3985015, Thawed, rinsed, drained, and patted dry.

Stuffing

• ½ Cup Portico® Classic Shrimp, White P&D Tail-off 41/50, Cooked – SUPC: 4421277; chopped into ½” pieces
• ½ Cup Lump Crab Meat, cooked & flaked
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 green onions, finely sliced
• 1 TBLS parsley; Italian flat leaf, chopped
• 1 TBLS breadcrumbs; Italian-seasoned
• 1 TBLS lemon juice; Fresh squeezed
• ¼ tsp Old Bay Seasoning
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Toothpicks for closure after stuffing
• 6 oz Alfredo Sauce
• 3 TBLS Romano Pecorino Cheese, freshly grated (1 TBLS per tube)
• 5 oz Arrezzio® Classic Italian Fettuccine – SUPC: 7166996, cooked
• Sea Salt & Cracked Pepper to taste
• 1 TBLS green onions, finely sliced for garnish

Alfredo Sauce – Yields: 24 oz. (4 servings)

• 1 stick of salted Butter
• 1 – 8 oz block of cream cheese, cubed
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 ½ cups of Milk
• 8 oz freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
• ½ tsp ground Black Pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.  Clean, prepare and rinse Calamari tubes, pat tubes dry. Score each tube on both sides, without cutting through.
2. Add the stuffing ingredients to a medium-sized mixing bowl: shrimp, crab, minced garlic, green onions, parsley & breadcrumbs. Squeeze the lemon juice over the mixture, add the seasonings & a pinch of salt and pepper.
3. Insert stuffing into each tube and close the end off with a toothpick (leaving about ½” bit of space at the end of the tube). Do not over-stuff; the squid will shrink during cooking and can burst open. Place the stuffed tubes into a lightly greased baking dish.
4. Melt a stick of butter in a saucepan over medium heat, add minced garlic and cubed cream cheese. Stir until the cream cheese melts. Whisk the milk in gradually, continuously stirring until the mixture is blended. Remove saucepan from the heat and stir in the grated Parmesan cheese and ground black pepper.  Pour 6 oz of the hot sauce over the stuffed tubes and sprinkle the top of each tube with a TBLS of the freshly grated Romano cheese.
5. Bake uncovered until the cheese is browned and sauce is bubbly, about 25-30 minutes. While the calamari are baking, cook the fettuccine according to the package directions. (al dente)
6. With tongs, plate the cooked tubes. Add the cooked fettuccine to the baking dish with the remaining Alfredo sauce and toss to coat. Place the pasta next to the tubes. Top with 1 tsp green onions, cracked black pepper and serve.