Two Minute Calamari: Sicilian Lifeguard Style

I first tried this dish on a tasting menu at the B&B Ristorante in Vegas and was immediately converted to a Mario Batali fan.  Before tasting this I was convinced that he was a television personality with mediocre cooking skills; sometimes it's fun to be wrong.  The flavors are intense, unique, and work perfectly together.  The recipe below is verbatim from Mario, but I would recommend keeping the tomato sauce thin and scaling back on the Calamari. 

Ingredients

• 1 cup Israeli couscous
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts
• 2 tablespoons currants
• 1 tablespoon hot red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup caperberries
• 2 cups basic tomato sauce*
• 1 1/2 pounds cleaned calamari: tubes cut into 1/4 inch rounds, tentacles halved
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced
• salt and pepper

Directions

1. bring 3 quarts of water to a boil, set up an ice bath
2. cook the couscous in the boiling water for 2 minutes
3. drain and immediately plunge in the ice bath.  Once cooled, remove to dry on a plate
4. in a 12 to 14 inch sauté pan heat oil until just smoking
5. add the pine nuts, currants, and red pepper flakes and sauté until the nuts are just golden brown (about 2 minutes)
6. add the caperberries, tomato sauce, and couscous; bring to a boil
7. add the calamari and simmer until just cooked and completely opaque
8. season with salt and pepper to taste
9. pour into large bowl, sprinkle with scallions, and serve immediately

*Basic Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Spanish onion, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme (or 1 tablespoon dried)
• 1/2 medium carrot, finely shredded
• 2 28-ounce cans peeled whole tomatoes
• salt 

Directions

1. in a 3 quart saucepan heat the olive oil over medium heat
2. add the onion and garlic and cook until soft and and light golden brown (8 to 10 minutes)
3. add the thyme and carrot and cook for 5 minutes more
4. hand crush the tomatoes and add them with their juices
5. bring to a boil, stirring often
6. lower heat and simmer for 30 minutes