Baby Octopus made with Kalamata Olives and Tomatoes (Polipetti alla Luciana)

Written by Published on in Seafood Dishes

Today we are going to make a dish that has a little bit of an interesting history. Today we are making a traditional Neapolitan dish called Polipetti alla Luciana which translated in Italian means “Baby Octopus made the “Luciana” way.

The historical origins of this dish are rooting in the neighborhood of Santa Lucia in Naples, Italy. If you have never been, Santa Lucia is a part of Naples that practically is a few feet from the water of the beautiful Bay of Naples. Legend has it that the fisherman from that part of town were called luciani. The luciani were famous for they way the caught octopus using terracotta bowls with white rocks. The luciani were known for their exquisite ways of cooking octopus.

One of the more famous and most popular ways was the recipe that we are showcasing today. Polipetti alla Luciana is made by slow simmering cherry tomatoes and delicious Kalamata olives. The octopus is first cooked in olive oil and garlic and then slow-cooked in the tomatoes and olives.

The result is a delicious and creamy sauce that absorbs the flavors of the octopus. If done right, the octopus is tender and flavorful. We recommend eating this dish with a some nice Italian bread to soak up the sauce.

If you have leftover sauce, which you most likely will, I suggest using that sauce to make a delicious pasta dish with either spaghetti or linguine. Or even better, save a few octopus and make the pasta with both the sauce AND the octopus.

We hope you enjoy this dish and let us know what you think! Buon Appetito!

Baby Octopus made "alla Luciana"...A Traditional Neapolitan Dish
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Baby Octopus made “alla Luciana”…A Traditional Neapolitan Dish

Recipe by Mamma Mia KitchenCourse: UncategorizedDifficulty: Easy
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

30

minutes
Calories

467

kcal

A historic and classic Neapolitan dish that gets it’s history from the Santa Lucia neighborhood in Naples. This recipe is made with baby octopus slow cooked in a tomato and kalamata olive sauce.

Ingredients

  • 5-6 baby octopus that are cleaned with the beaks removed.

  • 1 clove of garlic

  • 20 cherry tomatoes

  • 10-15 Kalamata olives

  • 3-4 sprigs of parsley, chopped

  • 5 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil

Directions

  • In a frying pan, add the olive oil and garlic.
  • Cook the garlic in the oil for 2-3 minutes letting the garlic release it’s flavor into the oil.
  • Add the baby octopus and cook for 3 minutes.
  • Slice the cherry tomatoes in half and add them to the pan.
  • Add the kalamata olives.
  • Place a cover on the pan and cook on a low heat for 20-45 minutes or until the water evaporates and the sauce becomes creamy.
  • Add the chopped parsley and mix well.
  • Buon Appetito!

Notes

  • This dish is traditionally eaten in terracotta dishes.
 

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