Octopus Bolognese

Name: Octopus Bolognese
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 1 small onion, cut into 1/4-inch pieces (1/2 cup); 1 large carrot, cut into 1/4-inch pieces (1/2 cup); 2 celery stalks, cut into 1/4-inch pieces (1/2 cup); Kosher salt and pepper; 5 garlic cloves, minced; 2 tablespoons tomato paste; 1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes; 1 (8-ounce) bottle clam juice; 2 basil sprigs, plus chopped basil for garnish; 2 (4-ounce) cans octopus packed in olive oil; 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving; 2 tablespoons drained capers; Cooked pasta or polenta; Red-pepper flakes (optional), for serving

By Kay Chun

Published Dec. 2, 2022

Octopus Bolognese — Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Brett Regot.

Total Time: 45 minutes
Rating: 4(150)
Comments: Read comments

This quick and rich nontraditional riff on bolognese features convenient yet under-used tender and meaty tinned octopus. Look for octopus that’s packed in olive oil; the oil will add depth to the sauce, along with clam juice to heighten the seafood flavor. Tangy capers brighten the sauce, while nutty Parmesan rounds it out. (Cheese can typically overpower the delicate flavor of seafood, but octopus has a hearty texture and here, it is enhanced by a hit of nutty Parmesan cheese.) Serve it over pasta or polenta; it’s also great with mashed potatoes or sopped up with crusty bread.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

3tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1small onion, cut into ¼-inch pieces (½ cup)
1large carrot, cut into ¼-inch pieces (½ cup)
2celery stalks, cut into ¼-inch pieces (½ cup)
Kosher salt and pepper
5garlic cloves, minced
2tablespoons tomato paste
1(28-ounce) can whole tomatoes
1(8-ounce) bottle clam juice
2basil sprigs, plus chopped basil for garnish
2(4-ounce) cans octopus packed in olive oil
¼cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving
2tablespoons drained capers
Cooked pasta or polenta
Red-pepper flakes (optional), for serving

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
In a large Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium. Add onion, carrot and celery; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, then the tomato paste and the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and cook, stirring constantly, until lightly caramelized, 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and their juices, crushing the tomatoes with your hands as you add them to the pot, then stir in the clam juice and basil sprigs; season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high.
Step 2
Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and cook at a lively simmer for 15 minutes. Add octopus and its oil and mix well. Bring to a boil over medium-high, then cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until sauce is thickened, about 10 minutes longer. Turn off heat, discard basil, and stir in cheese and capers.
Step 3
Serve octopus bolognese over pasta or polenta. Garnish with more basil and cheese, plus red-pepper flakes, if using.

Ratings

4 out of 5

150 user ratings

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Comments

Colleen Daly2 years ago

Please think twice before eating an octopus. Beautiful, intelligent, short-lived creatures of the sea.

MartiJ_dc2 years ago

I love to try new recipes and am considering making this for Christmas dinner. I've had fresh octopus before and liked it. My local Costco (Arlington, VA) carries octopus in the deli meats section. But I've not seen canned octopus in stores. Is it possible to use the fresh packed octopus or do I need to buy the canned octopus? If I can use the fresh packed stuff, what's the best practice? Seems possible I need to add olive oil and perhaps make it ahead to let flavors "meld"?

Michelle2 years ago

I often make tomato based pasta sauce with either canned tuna or sardines. I have used tinned muscles also. They give a lot of flavor to the sauce. The fish is already cooked. So you put it at the end with the oil from the tin. You just experiment with various flavors. Capers go well with tinned fish. I like to add sun dried tomatoes, marinated artichoke hearts etc for flavor as well. You toss in what you have that balances the flavor.

toni1 year ago

This is definitely an adventurous recipe , I feel like seafood with pasta typically suits a creamier sauce so I did add more cheese and some cream to help balance out the acidity of the tomatoes the rich flavor of the clam juice and octopus. I didn’t have basil but I added fresh sage and rosemary parsley as a topping but this might benefit from some toasted breadcrumbs as a topping as well. Overall it’s a delicious recipe that serves as a nice base. My whole family loved it so much

Ray2 years ago

Cooked this for dinner tonight and it was a huge hit. As usual, I doubled the garlic and added some oregano. Could have used more octopus.

Colleen Daly2 years ago

Please think twice before eating an octopus. Beautiful, intelligent, short-lived creatures of the sea.

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