Spaghetti alla Procida

Ingredients

• 350 gspaghetti
• 1 octopus, about 800 goctopus
• 2unpeeled garlic cloves
• 8Pachino cherry tomatoes
• 5 tablespoons (75 ml)extra-virgin olive oil
• to tastesalt
• to tastecrushed chilli flakes

Instructions

1. 1

   Clean the octopus

   Rinse the octopus carefully under running water. Use scissors to partly detach the head, turn it inside out like a sock and rinse it thoroughly.

2. 2

   Rinse the tentacles

   Rub the tentacles under running water to remove any grit, then rinse the octopus again. Once it is clean, fill a large pot with plenty of salted water.

3. 3

   Dip the tentacles

   Bring the water to the boil. Holding the octopus by its head, dip the tentacles into the boiling water for a few seconds, then lift them out.

4. 4

   Cook the octopus

   Repeat the dipping process twice more to curl the tentacles. Then submerge the whole octopus and cook over a medium heat with the pot covered for 20 minutes from when the water returns to the boil.

5. 5

   Cool in broth

   Take the pot off the heat and leave the octopus to cool in its cooking water. Once cool, remove it from the pot and keep the broth to cook the spaghetti.

6. 6

   Prepare and cook

   Rinse the cherry tomatoes and cut them into quarters. Chop the octopus into very small pieces. Bring its cooking broth back to the boil, adjust the salt if needed, and cook the spaghetti in it.

7. 7

   Warm the aromatics

   Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add the crushed garlic cloves and chilli and cook until the garlic turns lightly golden.

8. 8

   Make the sauce

   Add the octopus and tomatoes, season with salt and cook covered for a few minutes. Stir with a wooden spoon as the sauce reduces.

9. 9

   Drain the pasta

   Drain the spaghetti a couple of minutes before the packet’s stated cooking time. Reserve some cooking water to help bring the pasta and sauce together.

10. 10

    Toss and serve

    Transfer the spaghetti to the pan and toss everything together for a couple of minutes, adding a few tablespoons of pasta water as needed. Serve immediately.

What is spaghetti alla Procida?

This is a seafood pasta associated with Procida, an island in the Bay of Naples, where octopus is a natural fit for the local cooking. The dish brings together spaghetti, octopus, tomatoes, garlic and chilli in a simple pan sauce.

Broth cooking: the spaghetti is cooked in the octopus’s cooking water, so the pasta absorbs some of its savoury flavour. Finishing it in the pan helps the sauce cling to each strand.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 560 calories, 34g protein, 68g carbs, 18g fat.

Most of the carbohydrates come from the spaghetti, while the olive oil provides much of the fat and the octopus contributes protein. For a more balanced plate, serve a smaller helping of pasta alongside a generous green salad or vegetables.

Preparing the octopus

Cleaning: rinse the head and tentacles carefully as directed, rubbing the tentacles under running water to remove any residue. Cut the octopus into very small pieces after it has cooled, as the recipe specifies.

Curling: dipping the tentacles three times before cooking helps them curl. Keep hold of the head while doing this and take care around the boiling water.

Cooking in the octopus broth

Broth: leave the octopus to cool in its cooking water, then save the liquid rather than pouring it away. Bring it back to the boil before adding the spaghetti, and taste it for salt first.

Pasta: the recipe calls for cooking the spaghetti in the broth, then draining it a couple of minutes before the packet time. The final minutes in the sauce complete the cooking.

Getting the sauce right

Garlic and chilli: warm them in the olive oil until the garlic is lightly golden, not dark. This flavours the oil that will coat the octopus and tomatoes.

Tomatoes: quarter the Pachino tomatoes so they can soften in the covered pan. Cook the mixture for a few minutes, stirring, until the sauce has reduced.

Finishing the spaghetti

Reserved water: save some pasta water before draining. Add a few tablespoons to the pan if the sauce needs loosening as you toss the spaghetti.

Doneness: finish tossing for a couple of minutes, until the pasta is cooked and coated with the sauce. Serve straight away while the texture is at its best.

What to serve with it

A crisp green salad or simply dressed vegetables make a fresh contrast to the savoury pasta. Crusty bread is another option for any sauce left on the plate.

Keep accompaniments uncomplicated: the octopus broth, tomatoes and chilli provide the main flavours.

Recipe notes & tips

• Use a large pot so the octopus can be submerged in plenty of water.
• Keep the octopus cooking water; it is used for the spaghetti.
• Taste the broth before adding more salt, as it has already been salted.
• Cut the cooked octopus into very small pieces so it mixes evenly through the pasta.
• Reserve pasta water before draining, not after.
• Serve the pasta as soon as it has been tossed with the sauce.

Variations

• More chilli: add extra crushed chilli flakes for a hotter sauce.
• Extra tomatoes: add more cherry tomatoes if you prefer a juicier sauce.
• Fresh herbs: finish with chopped parsley for a fresh note.
• Wholemeal spaghetti: use wholemeal spaghetti for a nuttier pasta flavour.
• Milder garlic: remove the garlic cloves before adding the octopus if you want a subtler garlic taste.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Discarding the broth: save the octopus cooking water to cook the spaghetti.
• Overcooking the pasta: drain it a couple of minutes before the packet time so it can finish in the pan.
• Skipping the reserved water: keep some pasta water to help the sauce coat the spaghetti.
• Burning the garlic: cook it only until lightly golden so it does not turn bitter.
• Adding too much salt: taste the cooking broth before adjusting it, then season the sauce to taste.

How to store

Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container and eat within 2 days. Reheat gently in a pan with a splash of water, just until hot; the spaghetti may soften as it reheats.

Frequently asked questions