Paccheri with Slow-Simmered Octopus Ragù

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A coastal Italian classic that pairs large, tube-shaped paccheri with tender, slow-braised octopus in a bright tomato-and-white-wine sauce. The wide pasta tubes capture the rich, briny ragù beautifully, delivering a satisfying mix of silky seafood and robust tomato in every forkful.

Nutrition Facts

Per serving (estimated)

• 520 kcalCalories
• 14 gFat
• 2.5 gSaturated Fat
• 65 gCarbs
• 5 gFiber
• 8 gSugar
• 32 gProtein
• 640 mgSodium
• 930 mgPotassium
• 145 mgCalcium
• 6 mgIron
• 22 mgVitamin C
• 480 mcgVitamin A

Ingredients

For the octopus ragù

• 1 medium cleaned octopus (about 2 lb / 900 g)
• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for finishing
• 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
• 1 carrot, finely diced
• 1 celery stalk, finely diced
• 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1/2 tsp red chili flakes
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 can (28 oz / 800 g) San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand
• 1 bay leaf
• Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the pasta and finish

• 14 oz (400 g) paccheri pasta
• 1 small handful flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 1 lemon, zest only
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter (optional, for silkiness)
• Sea salt for the pasta water

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of unsalted water to a gentle simmer and lower the cleaned octopus in, holding it by the head so the tentacles curl as they cook. Simmer, partially covered, for 35–45 minutes until a paring knife slips easily into the thickest part of a tentacle; drain and let cool slightly, then cut into bite-sized pieces.
2. While the octopus cools, heat the olive oil in a wide skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook gently for 8–10 minutes until softened and translucent, then stir in the garlic and chili flakes and cook 1 minute more.
3. Pour in the white wine and simmer until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, bay leaf, and a pinch of salt, then simmer gently for 10 minutes to concentrate the flavors.
4. Add the chopped octopus to the sauce and simmer uncovered for 10–12 minutes, allowing the seafood to absorb the tomato flavor. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and remove the bay leaf.
5. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of generously salted water to a rolling boil and cook the paccheri until just shy of al dente, about 1–2 minutes less than the package directions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining.
6. Transfer the drained paccheri directly into the skillet with the octopus ragù. Add a splash of the reserved pasta water and the butter, and toss vigorously over medium-low heat for 1–2 minutes until the sauce clings to the tubes and the pasta is perfectly al dente.
7. Stir in the lemon zest and most of the parsley, then divide among warm bowls. Finish with a drizzle of good olive oil, the remaining parsley, and a final crack of black pepper.

Cook’s Notes

• For extra-tender octopus and a deeper flavor, braise it a day ahead, let it cool in its cooking liquid, then chill overnight before adding to the ragù.
• If using frozen octopus, thaw it completely in the refrigerator overnight and pat dry before cooking; frozen-then-cooked octopus is often more tender than fresh.
• Always cook paccheri 1–2 minutes under the package time because it will finish cooking in the sauce; this step is key for a glossy, well-coated ragù.
• A splash of pasta water at the end is essential — its starch helps the sauce emulsify and cling inside the wide paccheri tubes.
• Substitute rigatoni or calamarata if paccheri is unavailable; any short, wide tube that can capture the chunky octopus pieces works beautifully.

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