Spaghetti and Octopus | Antonino Cannavacciuolo

Ingredients for 4 people

• 350 g spaghetti
• 800 g small octopus (about 50 g each)
• 600 g tomato purée (or peeled tomatoes crushed and passed through a fine sieve)
• 1 clove of garlic
• 60 g parsley
• 100 ml white wine
• 40 ml extra virgin olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper

Procedure

Rub the octopus in a bowl with fine salt and a little water to remove the slime, rinse well under running water and remove the beak, eyes and all the entrails.

Dry and set aside.

In a saucepan, sauté half a clove of garlic, with the core removed, with the parsley stalks and add the octopus; pour in some of the white wine, remove the garlic and parsley stalks and cover with a lid.

Continue cooking over low heat for about 20 minutes, sprinkling with the remaining white wine from time to time.

Add the tomato purée, cover again and continue cooking for another 30 minutes, always over low heat.

Season with salt and black pepper, turn off the heat and leave to rest with the lid ajar for at least 30 minutes: this will allow the sauce to absorb all the flavors of the octopus.

Dish composition

Cook the spaghetti in plenty of salted water, drain and add to the sauce in the pan. Finally, season with chopped parsley and garlic.

Season with salt and pepper, stir in extra virgin olive oil with the heat off, and serve.

Chef's tip

It is important not to over-salt the pasta cooking water so that you can adjust the salt during the second stage of cooking in the pan. It is always better to add salt than to end up with a dish that is too salty.