Spaghetti with octopus ragù
Ragu is a surprisingly versatile sauce, it can be made with many different meats and ingredients, and, in some versions, it can be vegetarian if not vegan! One can eat it with pasta, as it is commonly done, but nothing is stopping you from putting some on a slice of bread and eating it as crostino. One can also think of it as an Italian ancestor of the sloppy joe. Today we’re bringing you yet another version developed by the faculty and students of Apicius School of Hospitality. Inspired by traditional dishes that can be found both in Naples and Genoa, this one features octopus meat forgoing the more traditional beef or pork. Incredibly flavorful and easy to prepare, this dish can work both as the centerpiece of a dinner with friends or something you’re fixing for yourself on a weeknight.
Ingredients:
6 garlic cloves, chopped
6 chili peppers, chopped
250 gr Tropea onion, diced
150 gr celery stalk, diced
2,5 kg canned tomato, pureed
200 gr olives, chopped
300 ml white wine
2 octopuses
Basil leaves to taste
Method:
Start by cooking the octopus in a pot full of simmering hot water.
While the octopus is cooking, heat the olive oil in a pan. Subsequently adding the onion and celery, followed by the garlic and chili peppers, let everything cook together for 2-3 minutes without letting it get brown. Then deglaze all the ingredients with white wine, let all the alcohol from the wine evaporate and then add tomato puree and leave it to cook for 10 minutes. At this point the octopus will be cooked, so chop it and add to the sauce together with the olives. Cook for 20 more minutes adding the fresh basil leaves towards the end and salting to taste. Once you’ve prepared the sauce, you can cook the spaghetti. Follow the instructions on the box and strain when they are al dente. As the last step, let the strained spaghetti cook in the pan with sauce for a minute and then they’ll be ready to be served. As the last garnish you might sprinkle some chopped parsley on top when serving the pasta.