These little baby octopuses may look like the cutest things you’ve ever seen, but believe me they can cause some serious headaches. You need to take your time with them, caress them and only then they will become the amazing ingredient that makes this recipe shine. So to do that you need to bring a big pot of water to a simmer and leave the little devils in to bathe for one hour.
They will like it so much in there that they’ll become beautifully tender and a real joy to eat.
But I guess the octopuses feel a bit lonely, so let’s bring some more ingredients in the game. I was thinking of going the Mediterranean way. A drizzle of olive oil, a couple of garlic cloves and some tomatoes to make a delicious sauce. Maybe a glass of red wine to go along? What do you think?
- 200 g of spaghetti pasta
- 200 g of baby octopus
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 ( 450 g ) can of chopped tomatoes
- 1 lime
- 1 handful of finely chopped parsley
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- The main goal of this recipe is to make the baby octopuses tender. So, in order to achieve this bring a big pot of water to a simmer and put the little devils in. Leave them on the heat for one hour.
- When done, drain the water and gently wash them under warm water. If they have a dark violet colored thin skin wash it all off. It's not really an appetizing view, so you don't want that on the table.
- When you're done washing the little beauties leave them to rest for a couple of minutes. In the meantime, heat up your olive oil in a non-stick pan. Add the garlic and fry it for about one minute until it's soft. Add the tomatoes along with the juices inside the can, pour a glass of warm water, stir a bit and bring to a simmer. Add the octopuses, stir to cover them with the wonderful juices, season with salt and pepper and leave on medium heat for about 20 to 30 minutes, until the sauce thickens.
- In the meantime fill a large pot about three quarters full with water and bring to a boil. Add a good dash of salt and add the spaghetti. Cook them as indicated on the package. Preferable al dente, so they don't become mushy in the end.
- When the spaghetti are done, drain the water and place them in the pan on top of the tomato sauce. Stir so the pasta gets covered with the sauce. Squeeze some lime juice, to taste, and sprinkle the parsley. Stir a bit more and take the pan off the heat. Serve immediately.
such a great looking pasta!
I’m really glad you like it. You should try it, it’s great 😀
Can’t quite say how much I enjoyed this “baby Octopus and pasta”recipe…I’ve for years pursued the elusive classical “grilled Octopus”, just like it’s done on a Greek island..finally landed one or two. Baby octopus was not a specialty for me, so I just threw them in to a tomato sauce and ate their chewy, rubbery selves, I never minded that, because I love octopus and that was the only way, that I knew how to prepare it..Now you’ve offered a different way to prepare it! I think it is great!! changed a small detail here and there, but retained most of your recipe. Used 1/2 lb of Angel Hair, used 794 grams (28oz.) of San Marzano pulled tomatoes..crushed. my only thought is that 1 hour simmering could be shortened for taste!!
Thanks, I am thrilled with the results!!