Serves: 4 | Time: 45 min
Polpo alla Luciana is a traditional dish from Borgo di Santa Lucia, a neighborhood next to Naples’ port, where octopus was long a staple catch. The recipe braises octopus in tomato sauce — here built on an Italian soffritto of onion, carrot, and celery — with capers and olives finishing the pot. Using pre-cooked or thawed frozen octopus cuts the preparation time to around 45 minutes; both are now widely available, including at Costco.
Ingredients
- 1 lb (450 g) pre-cooked or frozen octopus tentacles, cut into about 2-inch (5 cm) pieces
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup (140 g) finely diced onions
- 1 cup (140 g) finely diced carrots
- 1 cup (100 g) celery stalks, finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
- a pinch of red pepper flakes, or to taste
- 1⁄2 cup (120 ml) white wine
- 1 cup (240 ml) vegetable broth
- salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 lb (450 g) stewed tomatoes, canned ones are fine
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp dried oregano, or to taste
- 2 Tbsp capers, rinsed and drained
- 12 green or black olives
- 2 Tbsp finely minced flat-leaf parsley, for garnish
Preparation
Build the soffritto. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, celery, and red pepper flakes. Sauté for about 5 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften — do not let them get mushy. Add the wine and cook it down by half. Divide the soffritto into two equal portions and set aside.
Simmer the octopus. Add one half of the soffritto to a pot along with the tomatoes, tomato paste, octopus pieces, bay leaf, oregano, and vegetable broth. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer over low heat for about 20 minutes, or until the tentacles are tender when pierced with a knife.
Finish and serve. Stir in the remaining soffritto and continue cooking until the carrots are tender but still have some bite. If the sauce is too thick, add more vegetable broth. Add the capers and olives and cook for 2–3 minutes longer. Taste for seasoning, drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, and serve.
