Dina Nikolaou’s recipe

For 6 persons

• 1.5 kg octopus (fresh or frozen)
• 200ml fresh orange juice
• 100ml cider vinegar
• 1 bay leaf
• 200ml olive oil
• 3 white onions and 3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
• 4 very ripe tomatoes or 400 g of crushed tomatoes
• 400 g small macaroni-type pasta
• 1 C. c. dried oregano
• sea ​​salt
• ground pepper

For garnish

• 1 handful of cherry tomatoes
• 1 orange, cut into wedges

If you have chosen a frozen octopus, place it in the refrigerator overnight before preparing and cleaning it.

The preparation

In a saucepan, pour the orange juice and cider vinegar. Add the whole octopus and the bay leaf. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 1 hour or until the octopus has softened and released its juices.

Crush the tomatoes. Remove the octopus from the pan, reserve the juice. Cut the octopus into small pieces. In a sauté pan, heat the oil and sauté the sliced ​​onions for 15 minutes, salting lightly. Add the garlic and continue cooking for 2 minutes. Add the octopus pieces and cook for 2 minutes. Add the octopus cooking juice, the crushed tomatoes and the oregano. Add 0.5 liters of hot water, stir well, adjust salt and pepper.

Transfer the mixture to a baking dish. Add the pasta and mix.

Bake at 180°C in convection for 20 minutes. During cooking, stir the dish at least twice.

Serve hot, garnished with a few cherry tomatoes and pieces of orange.

Serve with a Malagousia wine or an Assyrtiko from Santorini.