This classic Italian octopus pasta is packed with seafood flavor and made with just 7 simple ingredients! It's a must-try for pasta lovers!
This octopus pasta is a classic seafood pasta we love in Italy, especially in the summer when fresh seafood is at its best!
It’s a traditional dish from southern Italy, and in Sicily—where I’m from—we make it all the time during the warmer months.
With just a handful of simple ingredients, this pasta with octopus is packed with rich, deep flavors.
There are plenty of variations out there—some use mixed seafood, others swap canned tomatoes with fresh tomatoes or tomato passata.
I’m sticking to the classic octopus pasta recipe I grew up with, which is super easy and quick to make.
I like to keep mine simple, but if you want to add a little extra kick, a pinch of red chili flakes or a handful of chopped black olives will take it to the next level!
And if you’re a seafood lover like me, you have to try my traditional shrimp linguine or calamarata pasta—you won’t be disappointed!
Ingredients
This delicious pasta with octopus is incredibly easy to make, and all you need is less than 10 ingredients:
- Octopus: For convenience, use a cleaned octopus—ask your fishmonger for help or learn how to clean octopus. Frozen pre-cleaned octopus works too—just defrost it in the fridge for 12 hours.
- Pasta: Use long pasta such as spaghetti, linguine or bucatini, or short pasta such as penne, rigatoni or paccheri.
- White wine: Go for a good quality dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio.
- Tomato Purée: We call it tomato passata in Italy. You can also use canned San Marzano tomatoes (as I did)—just be sure to remove the seeds (they are bitter) before using.
- Garlic: You can leave it whole to infuse the oil and sauce with a mild aroma, or chop it for a bolder, more intense garlic flavor.
- Capers: Optional but flavorful, they add depth to the dish. If using salt-preserved capers, rinse them thoroughly before adding.
- Parsley: I use both the parsley stems to add flavor to the oil, and the leaves to add freshness to the sauce.
How to make octopus pasta
The best thing about this octopus pasta? It’s surprisingly easy to make!
Here below is the step-by-step recipe overview with pictures.
Scroll until the end of the post for the full printable recipe.
- Sauté garlic, parsley stalks and octopus chunks, then pour in the wine, and cook on low heat for 20 minutes.
- Stir in the tomatoes, cover, and simmer for another 30 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper.
- Cook pasta until al dente, about 2 minutes before the suggested cooking time
- Toss the pasta with octopus sauce. Garnish with parsley and black pepper, then serve.
More traditional pasta recipes
If you love cozy, classic Italian pasta recipes as much as I do, you’ve got to try these family favorites!
- Eggplant baked pasta: also called pasta ncasciata, it features crispy eggplant, bolognese sauce and cheese. Perfect for Sunday dinner!
- Bucatini pomodoro: A simple yet stunning pasta dish made with ripe tomatoes, garlic, and fresh basil, creating a rich and flavorful sauce.
- Pasta alla Norcina: An incredibly creamy Italian sausage pasta made with the most simple ingredients and ready in 15 minutes.
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Recipe
Octopus Pasta
Ingredients
- 800 g octopus, fresh or frozen, approx 1.76 lb
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 fresh parsley stalks, + 1 tablespoon of chopped parsley leaves
- 1 teaspoon salt-preserved capers, well rinsed
- 100 ml white wine, approx ⅓ US cup
- 600 g tomato puree (tomato passata), approx 2 ½ US cups
- 360 g pasta, approx 12 oz, such as spaghetti, pacchetti penne, rigatoni
- sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Start by cleaning the octopus (see notes) and chopping it into little chunks.
- In a large saupan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sauté garlic (core removed) and parsley stalks for a couple of minutes.
- Add the octopus chunks, stir fry for 2 minutes, then pour in the white wine and add the capers. Remove the garlic (optional) and parsley stalks, then cover with a lid.
- Cook over low heat for about 20 minutes, occasionally adding a ladle of warm water if necessary.
- Stir in the tomato puree, cover again, and continue cooking on low heat for another 30 minutes, then season with salt and black pepper to taste.
- Bring a large port of lightly salted water to a boil, then add the pasta and cook according to the package directions.
- Drain the pasta 2 minutes before the suggested cooking time, for al dente pasta.
- Add the drained pasta to the octopus sauce and stir all the ingredients. Top with chopped parsley leaves and freshly cracked black pepper if desired, and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
John says
Just like the octopus pasta I had in Naples last summer! Thank you for this amazing recipe