Octopus Salad

Published on February 25, 2020 in Italian By Vincenzo Prosperi

How to Make Octopus Salad
Octopus salad recipe with carrots in a pesto of mint and walnuts. Italy prides itself on its fresh and simply prepared seafood. You’ll often find the main ingredients to the perfect grigliata di pesce (grilled fish plate) to be salt, pepper, olive oil, and lemon. Understated and yet absolutely delicious!
It’s no different for insalata di polpo, or octopus salad recipe. This popular antipasto is often made with carrots, basil or mint, and, of course, olive oil. These complementary and light ingredients help to keep the focus where it belongs – on the fresh fish!

Watch Octopus Salad video recipe:

OCTOPUS SALAD RECIPE – How to Make Insalata di Polpo

Vincenzo’s Top Tips To Make Octopus Salad

For a visual effect, add a curl to the tentacles

You can do this by holding the octopus by the head (raw) and dipping it quickly into the boiling water 2 or 3 times. You will see the curl immediately. At that point, you can proceed cooking as per the recipe.

Other way to make pesto
Instead of a mint pesto, you can prepare more of a classic pesto using basil and pinenuts or rocket and walnuts using the same doses that are outlined in the recipe.

For a little bit of a “kick”
Try adding a bit of chili powder or paprika to the carrots before roasting them.

Octopus Salad

Vincenzo's Plate

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Course Appetizer

Cuisine Italian

Ingredients

400 grams Octopus 1lb
400 grams Carrots
25 grams Mint 0.9oz
20 grams Walnuts 0.7oz
40 ml Extra virgin olive oil 3 tbsp
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

Instructions

Boil the octopus in salted water for about 25 minutes. Drain and then let cool.
Once cooled, cut into small pieces and set aside. Peel and cut the carrots into discs, dress with extra virgin olive oil, a pinch of salt and pepper, and cook for about 20 minutes at 180˚˚C/350˚F.
For the pesto: In a bowl combine the mint, the extra virgin olive oil, walnuts, salt and pepper and blend.
In a wide bowl, combine the octopus and the carrots, and then dress with the mint pesto. Mix well to create a beautiful and colorful octopus salad recipe.
E ora si mangia, Vincenzo’s Plate….Enjoy!