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Htapodi me kofto makaronaki
Octopus and pasta in tomato
Htapodi me kofto makaronaki: octopus and short pasta cooked together in a spiced tomato sauce
During Lent and on fasting days, coastal families in Crete and the islands turn to octopus, which the church counts as fasting food. In this one-pot dish it is first stewed in its own juices until tender, then simmered in tomato with cinnamon and allspice, and finally the little cut pasta tubes cook right in the sauce, soaking up the deep red, faintly sweet liquid. It is served hot with a squeeze of lemon and a green salad. Common mistake: salting the octopus at the start, which tightens it; season only once it is tender. Chef's tip: buy frozen octopus or freeze fresh for a day; freezing breaks down the tough fibres and saves you the traditional beating on the rocks.
- Total time
- 110 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 2 ⅝ lb octopuscleaned; thawed if frozen
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 onionsfinely chopped
- 3 cloves garlicsliced
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 14 oz chopped tomatoes
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 ¼ cups hot water
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ⅓ oz flat-leaf parsley (optional)chopped
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Put 2 ⅝ lb octopus in a dry, heavy pot over a medium heat, cover and cook for 40–50 minutes in the liquid it releases, turning once. It is ready when a knife slides easily into the thickest part of a tentacle.
45 minStep 2: Lift out the octopus and keep the pink cooking liquid. Cut the octopus into 3 cm pieces.
Step 3: Wipe the pot, add ¼ cup olive oil and fry 2 onions over a medium heat for 8 minutes, until soft and golden. Add 3 cloves garlic and 1 tbsp tomato paste and stir for 1 minute.
9 minStep 4: Add 14 oz chopped tomatoes, 2 tbsp red wine vinegar, 1 cinnamon stick, 5 allspice berries, 1 bay leaf, the octopus, its liquid and 3 ¼ cups hot water. Simmer for 15 minutes, until the sauce has thickened slightly.
15 minStep 5: Stir in 10 ½ oz short tube pasta (kofto makaronaki or ditalini), 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper and simmer, stirring often so it doesn't stick, for 12–14 minutes, until the pasta is tender and the sauce coats it thickly. Add a splash of water if it gets too dry.
14 minStep 6: Remove the cinnamon and bay, rest for 5 minutes and serve scattered with ⅓ oz flat-leaf parsley if you like.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 560 kcal
- Protein
- 40 g
- Carbs
- 66 g
- Fat
- 16 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does htapodi me kofto makaronaki take?
- About 110 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 90 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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