Octopus Pasta Salad with Oregano Vinaigrette
Description
A Greek-inspired Octopus Salad made with Ditalini pasta, fennel, bell pepper, capers, and a bold oregano vinaigrette.
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Ingredients
- ½ pound dry ditalini pasta, cooked according to package instructions
- 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 5 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons country-style Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh oregano
- 1½ teaspoons honey
- 1 small clove garlic, grated
- Kosher salt
- 3 cups diced cooked octopus (from two 7-ounce packages frozen cooked octopus tentacles or one 2½ pound cooked whole octopus
- 1 fennel bulb bulb and stalks diced, fronds chopped
- 1 yellow bell pepper diced
- 4 scallions white and light green parts minced, greens sliced
- ¼ cup capers drained
Instructions
- Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Season generously with salt; add ½ pound Ditalini pasta and cook, according to package directions, until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together 6 tablespoons olive oil, 5 tablespoons vinegar, 3 tablespoons Dijon, 2 tablespoons oregano, 1½ teaspoons honey, and 1 grated clove garlic. Season lightly with salt.
- Add octopus, cooked and drained Ditalini, fennel bulb and stalks, ¼ cup chopped fennel fronds, bell pepper, scallions, and capers. Toss to combine then season to taste with additional salt.
Notes
Octopus: I find the pre-cooked octopus tentacles in the freezer section at Whole Foods.
You can also cook an entire octopus instead of using frozen cooked tentacles. You’ll need a 2½–3 pound spanish octopus. Most likely you will be looking at a previously frozen and thawed octopus. If you’re at a fish monger, it’s possible it will be sold frozen.
To cook a whole octopus, I recommend following Daniel Gritzer’s simmer method. It’s simple and turns out well every time.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil, reduce to a simmer and very slowly submerge the octopus into the water. Cook the octopus until tender enough that a pairing knife inserted in the thickest part of a tentacle has little resistance, about 1 hour (it may take a little less or a little more time). Remove the pot from heat and let the octopus and water cool to room temperature. Drain and store in an airtight in the fridge until ready to use (up to 3 days).
- When ready to serve, remove the tentacles where they attach to the body. At the point where the tentacles all meet is the hard beak, remove the beak and cut out eyes; discard.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cupCalories: 237kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 14gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 34mgSodium: 349mgPotassium: 446mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3g
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