Spaghetti with octopus ragù😍 

Spaghetti with octopus ragù is a mouth-watering first course. A tasty sauce and a great classic to bring to the table on any occasion. If, like me, you love this mollusk, try it in this slightly different way than the classic octopus and potatoes. Octopus ragù is made by cutting the octopus into small pieces, after cleaning it. I get help from the fishmonger. Then it is slowly cooked in a casserole with the flavors and tomato puree, after simmering it with white wine. In this recipe I explain step-by-step how to make an irresistible seafood sauce and to make the octopus nice and soft. The trick is slow cooking but the result will repay every effort and everyone will give you a lot of compliments. Here I propose it with my favorite pasta shape, spaghetti that perfectly collects the sauce, but it is also excellent with gnocchi, tagliatelle or short dry pasta. At the end of the plate you need a nice slice of homemade bread to make the scarpetta!

Ingredients

Octopus 300 g

Tomato puree 2

Carrots 2 stems

Celery

1 clove Garlic

Chili pepper

1 small glass White wine

Parsley

Salt

Extra virgin olive oil

320 g Spaghetti

Steps

Start with the sauté: peel the carrots, trim them and chop them finely with a knife. Wash the celery, remove the filaments and finely chop it too. Drizzle a large saucepan with oil, add the garlic clove, chopped chili pepper and pour in the chopped celery and carrots. Sauté for about a quarter of an hour over very low heat, stirring occasionally. In the meantime, clean the octopus. Wash the octopus under cold running water to remove as much of the slimy film and any sand residue as possible. With a knife, cut just under the eyes to remove them (I have the fishmonger do it). Then cut off the head and cut it into strips. Remove the middle tooth by digging into the center of the tentacles with a small knife. Then start cutting the tentacles into very small pieces, starting from the tips. Add the shredded octopus to the saucepan and sauté until it lightens and changes color. It will also release its liquids. Mix the ingredients and sauté for a few minutes. Then deglaze with the white wine and let it evaporate. Then add the tomato puree and chopped parsley. Season with salt. Let it cook for about 3 hours, until the octopus has softened. During cooking, you can add water or fish stock to prevent the sauce from drying out too much.

When there are a few minutes left before the end of cooking, cook the spaghetti in plenty of salted water. Drain them al dente and pour them directly into the saucepan to mix them with the octopus sauce. Attention: since the sauce will be abundant, remove some and store it for a later time. You can also freeze it. Sauté for a few moments, stirring. Serve hot.