Octopus alla pignata: the sweet and irresistible octopus recipe from Salento

the octopus went pinata it’s a second course tasty and irresistible, typical of Tradition of Salento. Its name derives from the pot in which it is cooked, the pinata precisely: in this particular Terracotta pot the octopus cooks with its own water, so that it releases all its flavor directly into the tomato sauce. A technique that will allow you to obtain a very soft octopus And truly delicious, to accompany del homemade bread with which to make the shoe.

Octopus is particularly suitable for long cooking: first make sure it is clean, which you can ask the fishmonger or do at home. While cooking, pay attention to the right amount of salt: thus cooked, in fact, the octopus will release a fairly tasty juice which will blend with the tomato. If you don’t have an earthenware pot, you can also cook octopus in a steel cooking pot from very thick bottom. If you use the terracotta pan, be sure to avoid letting the pot suffer thermal changes, which could damage it: therefore keep the flame always at medium power.

The recipe for octopus alla pignata, lu purpu alla pignata, is very old and each family transmits its version: in some potatoes, for example, or others herbs. The constant, however, is the thick sauce and gourmet to accompany the octopus: here is how to prepare it to perfection.

How to prepare octopus alla pignata

Clean the fresh onions and the garlic clove (1).

Combine the ingredients in the pan sprinkled with extra virgin olive oil and add a pinch of chili (2).

Add the peeled tomatoes (3).

Then add the octopus to the saucepan (4). Cook over medium heat for about 3 hours: when the sauce dries, add half a glass of water per volt while continuing to cook.

Shortly before the end of cooking, add the chopped fresh parsley and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil: taste and salt if necessary (5).

To understand if the octopus is cooked, it is enough to taste it: it should be tender and easy to chew. Once the octopus has been tested, add more chopped parsley to taste and serve (6).

storage

Store octopus alla pignata in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours in a tightly closed container or you can freeze it for up to three months to consume as needed.