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Fish, Italy

Paccheri with octopus ragù

Paccheri with octopus ragù is an Italian dish for 4 people, about €4.50 per person, medium difficulty, with 110 minutes total including 80 minutes of gentle simmering. The key to success is giving the octopus enough time to turn tender in a red wine tomato sauce, while the wide paccheri tubes capture that sauce in every bite.

A weekend dish, octopus simmering for hours in a red wine tomato sauce, and paccheri with a hollow wide enough to hold it.

Paccheri with octopus ragù
Total time
1 h 50
Difficulty
Medium
Cost per person
€4.50
Calories per person
600 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Fall, Winter

Octopus simmered slowly loses all its chew and turns nearly melting, carried by a tomato sauce built on a splash of red wine and a touch of chili. Paccheri, those wide pasta tubes, are made for this dish, their hollow center traps the sauce and can even hide a whole piece of octopus in every bite.

This is a weekend recipe, not something for a rushed weeknight, the kind of dish you start on a Sunday afternoon while the house takes care of itself. It works well for a meal among adults or for curious guests, less so for young kids who don't always love the texture of octopus.

The ingredients

4 people

Pantry

  • Paccherioften in the pantry 360 g
  • Crushed tomatoesoften in the pantry 500 g
  • Red wineoften in the pantry 15 cl
  • Dried chilioften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 4 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Frozen foods

  • Frozen octopus, thawed 1 kg

Fruits and vegetables

  • Onion 1
  • Garlic 3 cloves
  • Parsley 6 sprigs

Allergens Gluten, Mollusks

The step by step recipe

  1. Rinse the octopus and cut it into 3 cm pieces.

    Keep one or two whole tentacles per plate, they make a nice garnish on the pasta.

  2. Sauté the onion and garlic in the oil, add the octopus and let it release its water. 10 min

    Let the octopus release its water uncovered, the liquid needs to evaporate before you add the wine.

  3. Pour in the red wine, let it reduce, then add the tomatoes and chili.

    Don't add salt yet, the octopus is naturally briny.

  4. Let it simmer covered over low heat until the octopus is tender. 1 h 20

    Poke a piece with the tip of a knife, it should go in without resistance, otherwise simmer for another 15 minutes.

  5. Cook the paccheri in salted water, toss them with the ragù and sprinkle with parsley. 12 min

    Tuck a piece of octopus inside each paccheri for an extra indulgent bite.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick octopus that's already been frozen and thawed rather than fresh, the cold breaks down its fibers and it turns tender without any effort or long tenderizing process.
  • Let the octopus release all its liquid before adding the wine, otherwise the sauce stays too watery and takes longer to thicken.
  • Taste for salt only near the end of cooking, the octopus releases its own briny saltiness as it simmers.

The variations

  • Swap the red wine for white wine for a lighter, slightly brighter sauce.
  • For an octopus free version, use large chopped button mushrooms with a bit of crumbled nori for a similar briny note.
  • To save time, use pre cooked octopus tentacles, which can cut the simmering time down to 30 minutes.

What to serve it with

  • A glass of the same red wine used in cooking
  • A simple green salad with olive oil
  • Crusty bread for soaking up the sauce

Storage

The octopus ragù keeps 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator in a sealed container, kept separate from the pasta if possible. It freezes well for up to 2 months, on its own, without the paccheri. Reheat the sauce gently over low heat before tossing it with freshly cooked pasta.

Questions about this dish

Can you make the octopus ragù ahead of time?

Yes, it's actually recommended, the sauce tastes better reheated the next day. Make the ragù up to 2 days ahead and cook the paccheri just before serving.

How do you know when the octopus is cooked enough?

Poke a piece with the tip of a knife, it should go in without resistance. If it doesn't, simmer for another 15 minutes and check again.

Can you use fresh octopus instead of frozen?

Yes, but you'll need to tenderize it first, either by beating it or cooking it longer. Frozen octopus is already tenderized by the cold, which simplifies the recipe.

What pasta shape can replace paccheri if I can't find any?

Rigatoni or large tubetti work well, the key is having a tube wide enough to hold the sauce. Avoid thin pasta shapes, which don't trap the ragù the same way.

How long does it take to make paccheri with octopus ragù?

Count 1 h 50 in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “medium”.

How many calories are in paccheri with octopus ragù?

About 600 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does paccheri with octopus ragù cost?

About €4.50 per serving, or €18.00 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains gluten, mollusks. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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