Clean the calamari if fresh: remove the head, skin, cartilage, and entrails. Wash thoroughly and slice the body into rings and the tentacles into small pieces.

Bring a pot of salted water to the boil and add the potatoes. Cook until they are al dente (about 5-10 minutes) Once they are ready, remove with a slotted spoon. Keep the water.

In a deep frying pan or skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the par-boiled potatoes and fry for 2-3 minutes, until they start to turn golden. Remove and set aside.

In the same skillet, sauté the chopped garlic for a minute, then add the calamari rings. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the calamari pieces start to turn a more solid white color.

Add the cherry tomatoes and continue to cook for another 10 minutes.

Pour in the white wine and increase the heat, allowing the alcohol to evaporate. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.

Return the potato water to a boil and cook the paccheri al dente, according to package instructions. Reserve some pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.

While the pasta is cooking, add the potatoes, a sprinkling of parsley and some peperoncino to the calamari. Mix everything together well.

Add some of the pasta cooking water to the calamari and potato sauce and mix again. Cook for another minute.

Add the pasta to the sauce with a little more pasta cooking water if it seems dry. Mix everything well together and serve immediately with another sprinkling of parsley and some grated lemon zest if desired.