Pasta alla Luciana

Published on June 11, 2023 in Main Course, Pasta, Pescetarian, Recipes By Vincenzo Prosperi

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PASTA ALLA LUCIANA

Pasta alla Luciana, originates in Naples, combining tender baby octopus with capers and black olives. The salty flavours of the ocean mixed with sweet tomatoes and the crunch of olives will take you on a trip to the Mediterranean.

After tasting this dish in Naples myself recently I couldn’t get over the flavors given so few ingredients were used. Bring the smell of the ocean home and have some sourdough bread handy to scoop up all that rich sugo – alla scarpetta!

Watch the Pasta alla Luciana video recipe:

How to Cook OCTOPUS PASTA Like an Italian – Pasta alla Luciana

Vincenzo’s Plate Tips

Keep the pan uncovered once the peeled tomatoes have been added

No need to cover the pan once when you’re cooking the peeled octopus. Let the scent of the ocean and the tomatoes spread through your home and announce dinner is coming!

Use rock salt to add the taste of the ocean

Adding a generous portion of rock salt to the boiling water when you cook your pasta will add a little taste of the ocean to the dish.

Don’t get rid of the water when cooking the octopus

When you cook the baby octopus, it will release a fair amount of water. This is perfect and will only add to the flavour of your dish.

Add pasta water if the sauce is too dry

It’s always a good idea to get a mug full of pasta water while you’re cooking your pasta. If your sauce starts to get too dry, add a little pasta water to it. It will bring a beautiful flavor to the sauce.

Pair this dish with a nice white wine

If you can, I recommend you have a dry white wine to pair with this dish because the flavors go beautifully together.

How to Serve Pasta alla Luciana

This pasta can be plated quickly. It isn’t about a beautiful presentation but instead, about enjoying the taste of this marvelous Neapolitan pasta. Make sure to add extra octopus and sauce with each portion. You can also do this using a tablespoon once the pasta is served into the dishes.

Add a sprinkle bit of parsley as garnish and a drop of extra virgin olive oil to the top.

Pasta alla Luciana

Last year I went to Naples and had a beautiful plate of Pasta alla Luciana, Baby Octopus Pasta. It’s a wonderful, classic Neapolitan dish that brings the fresh taste of the ocean to your dinner table. Enjoy this dish with pitted black olives and capers swimming in tomato sauce, and pair it with a dry white wine for an amazing dinner.

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Equipment

1 Masher
1 pan
1 pot
1 wooden spoon
1 Mixing bowl

Ingredients

500 grams Baby octopus 1oz
2 cloves Garlic diced or minced
25 pitted black olives
2 tbsp Capers in salt
250 grams Cherry tomatoes 0.55oz. Sliced in half
Fresh parsley chopped
400 grams Large Rigatoni pasta 0.88oz.
1 Small can peeled tomatoes
Extra virgin olive oil as much as required
Salt as much as required
Pepper as much as preferred

Instructions

Pour the peeled tomatoes into a large bowl. Crush them using your hands or a masher.
Put your pan on the stove and turn up to a medium-high heat before adding a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil to it.
Crush garlic and add to pan, letting it start to cook and become glossy.
Once it softens slightly add baby octopus and cover with lid.
Cook the baby octopus on both sides for a total of 10 minutes and stir occasionally. Cooking time may vary depending on the size of your octopus.
Add cherry tomatoes and allow to cook with lid for 5 minutes or until the cherry tomatoes are cooked and making love with the baby octopus.
Add peeled tomatoes to the pan and cook the sauce for 1 hour. After it has been cooking for 10 minutes, stir it and repeat every so often.
Next, cover the sauce with a lid and cook for 20 more minutes until baby octopus is soft and tender.
Add water to your large pot and bring to the boil on the stove.
Once it boils, add a generous amount of rock salt and boil the Rigatoni according to packet instructions.
Remove the lid from your pan, mix sauce with a wooden spoon then add capers, black olives, parsley, salt, and pepper.
Cover one last time and turn the heat down to a gentle simmer while your pasta is boiling.
Combine cooked rigatoni and sauce in a pan and mix using a wooden spoon, or if you can, toss through making sure all the pasta is lathered in the sauce.