Ragù di polpo (Octopus ragu, region Campania)

Ingredients for 4/6 people

cleaned octopus (800 gr)

tomato puree (500 gr)

1 onion

1 clove of garlic

some basil leaves

1 rib of celery

1 leave of laurel

1 tuft of parsley

dry white wine (half a glass)

extra-virgin olive oil, salt, pepper

Chop the onion, the garlic and the celery separately. Use half of the onion for the tomato puree and the other half for the octopus. Finely chop the octopus.

Heat some olive oil in a pan and add immediately the tomato puree, a part of the chopped onion, the basil leaves and a pinch of salt and pepper and cook on a low fire for about 20 minutes.

In another pan heat 4 spoons of olive oil and add the other half of the chopped onion,  the chopped celery and the parsley, the laurel leave and the chopped garlic. Cook until the onion gets a bit softer but it should not turn brown. Add the chopped octopus and cook on a medium fire for about 1 minute, lower the fire and cook until it gets drier. Add the wine and let it evaporate. Add the tomato puree and half a glass of warm water.

Season with salt and pepper and cook with the lid on a low fire for 1 hour.

Use the ragu to season the pasta (rigatoni or penne).