Htapodi me Makaronaki kofto (Octopus in tomato sauce with pasta)

In Greek, this dish is called Htapodi me Makaronaki kofto, and is cooked in a tomato sauce and then in the sauce we prepare the pasta, preferably ditali.  It’s one of the most favourite and filling dishes during Lent.

Htapodi me Makaronaki kofto (Octopus in tomato sauce with pasta)

Preparation time:  30 minutes

Cooking time:  1 hour and 20 minutes

Serves:  5 - 6

Ingredients:

• Small octopuses about 1 kilo (1 medium sized) (fresh or frozen)
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 3-4 ripe fresh tomatoes or 1 can (500 grams) of tomatoes with juice
• salt and pepper
• 1 cup of red dry wine
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/3 cup of olive oil
• 1 packet of ditali pasta (500 grams)

Directions:

1. See how to  clean octopus an octopus here.
2. The octopus must be very carefully washed and dried, and the beak removed. Cut into pieces about 3 or 4 cm. long.
3. Add oil in a saucepan, just enough to cover the bottom of the pan and sauté the finely chopped onion in hot oil. When the onion softens, add the octopus and sauté as well for 3 minutes.
4. Add wine and stir until alcohol evaporates. Blend tomatoes in a food processor and add salt, pepper and bay leaves and 1 cup of water.    Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 1 hour. Remove bay leaves after ten minutes of cooking.
5. When the octopus is cooked, add two more glasses of hot water and bring to a boil.  Cook the pasta in the sauce stirring from time to time.
6. Serve with Greek feta cheese.
7. Second way to cook it is after the cooking procedure, preheat oven at 180o, transfer octopus with sauce into a Pyrex or baking pan and add 2 glasses of hot water and cook pasta in the oven.
8. Grate myzithra cheese on top.

Bon appetit

Tags: lenten, Nistisimo, Octopus, Pasta, Seafood