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Pasta with baby octopuses and pesto

17/11/2023

The pasta with baby octopuses and pesto is a dish that combines the flavor of the sea with that of the Ligurian land, creating a truly interesting mix. Let’s see how to prepare this dish.

Ingredients

  • 320 g of pasta (e.g., linguine or trofie)
  • 500 g of cleaned baby octopuses
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • White wine to deglaze

For the Genovese pesto:

  • 1 bunch of fresh basil
  • 1-2 cloves of garlic (depending on taste)
  • 30 g of pine nuts
  • 50 g of grated Parmesan cheese
  • 20 g of grated Pecorino cheese (optional, for a more intense flavor)
  • 100 ml of extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt to taste

Preparation

  1. Start by preparing the pesto. Wash the basil leaves and dry them gently. In a mortar, begin to crush the garlic cloves with a pinch of salt until they become a cream. Add the basil leaves and continue to crush with rotary movements. When the basil has darkened and released its essential oil, add the pine nuts and continue to crush. Finally, incorporate the grated cheeses and blend everything with extra virgin olive oil until you achieve a homogeneous and creamy consistency.

  2. Wash the baby octopuses under running water and dry them. In a large pan, sauté the garlic with extra virgin olive oil, then add the baby octopuses. Cook over high heat for a few minutes and then deglaze with a bit of white wine. Lower the flame, cover, and let cook for about 20 minutes or until they are tender. Adjust with salt and pepper.

  3. Cook the pasta in plenty of salted water following the time indicated on the package for an al dente texture.

  4. Drain the pasta and reserve some of the cooking water. Transfer the pasta to the pan with the baby octopuses and mix well. If necessary, add some of the cooking water you set aside to make it creamier.

  5. Remove from the heat and add the pesto to the pasta, mixing gently to avoid the excessive heat destroying the fragrance of the basil.

  6. Serve the pasta with baby octopuses and pesto hot, adding a raw drizzle of oil to each dish and, if desired, a sprinkle of grated cheese.

A curiosity: the pesto, a famous Ligurian sauce, is traditionally prepared in a marble mortar with a wooden pestle to avoid oxidation of the ingredients and to better preserve their flavor and aroma.

Pasta with baby octopuses and pesto