Pasta with Octopus Sauce - Zalza tal-Qarnit

If Spaghetti Rizzi is the most popular dish in a fish restaurant, well this must be the next.  Maltese love octopus especially when cooked in rich tomato sauce.  Mum was so good in making Octopus Stew.  She cooked large pots of it, and used to leave it on very low heat for very long time. At dinner time, she used to pick some of the thick sauce and mix with pasta then she used to serve the remaining stew which included potatoes, as a second course to be eaten with crusty Maltese Bread.. Yum Yum... This recipe serves 4

1 kg Octopus
2 clove garlic
1 medium onion
1 carrot
1 celery Stick
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp Paprika
1 kg Plum Tomatoes or 750ml tomato Pulp
1 tbsp Tomato Paste
1 cup Red Wine
3 tbsp olive oil
3 bay leaves
1 Star Anise
1 Cinnamon Stick
1 tbsp Honey
Sea Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper

500g pasta , Spaghetti or Linguine
1 tbsp chopped fresh herbs
2 tbsp olive oil for dressing

Wash octopus in cold running water and clean the heads.  Put in a large pan, then cover with water and bring to boil. Turn off heat and drain.  Cut into 1 inch pieces and set aside.

Crush Garlic and finely chop the onions.  Dice Carrots and celery stick.  Heat a medium casserole add olive oil and fry onions till medium brown.  Add crushed garlic, chopped celery and carrots, paprika and curry powder and continue to fry gently.  Add wine and reduce by half.  Add chopped tomatoes and tomato paste and 1 cup water, cover and bring sauce to boil.  Put, cinnamon, star anise and bayleaves in a muslin bag and tie securely with a string, then add to sauce.  Add octopus to tomato sauce then reduce heat to very low and simmer for 1 hour till sauce thickens.  Add honey and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Boil Pasta in plenty salted water till al dente. Drain pasta and transfer to large serving dish.  Sprinkle with fresh herbs and add olive oil.  Toss gently then add Octopus sauce on top and serve.