Baby octopus and zucchini stew, prepare this fantastic seafood dish in half an hour. Baby octopuses are cousins of octopuses, they are much smaller and their eight tentacles have only one row of suckers unlike octopuses which have two, they have a delicate flavor and live on muddy seabeds. Certainly with the arrival of summer, there is more desire for sea, vacation, and delicious seafood dishes, and if they are prepared in less than half an hour, even better, of course with the fish already cleaned let’s say, and the real nuisance and the only downside that would make us love it less. But no worries because today any commercial retailer or small fish shop cleans it and sometimes even cooks it. Baby octopuses are suitable for any type of cooking although they mainly love the grill even if this is not my cooking method today, but equally simple and quick like the salmoriglio.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Moderate
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 2
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 392.86 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 6.71 (g) of which sugars 0.11 (g)
- Proteins 28.05 (g)
- Fat 25.46 (g) of which saturated 3.79 (g)of which unsaturated 0.85 (g)
- Fibers 0.96 (g)
- Sodium 410.15 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 180 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for preparing baby octopus and zucchini stew
- 12 oz baby octopus
- 1 clove garlic
- 6 tbsp white wine
- 1 bunch parsley
- 1 chili pepper
- 1 zucchini
- 3.5 oz extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon (zest)
Necessary tools for preparing baby octopus and zucchini
- Frying pan
- Wooden spoon
Useful steps to prepare baby octopus and zucchini
An essential sauté of garlic with chili pepper and parsley stems with extra virgin olive oil.
Brown the garlic, and when the oil is hot, add the baby octopus cut into large pieces; unfortunately, they shrink during cooking, so you might as well leave them whole. Add the lemon zest and leave it throughout the cooking of the baby octopus.
Deglaze with the wine, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.
After ten minutes, add the zucchini cut into sticks, with the skin on; they are so tender that there is no need to peel them.
Cover the pan and cook over high heat for another 10 minutes.
Stir frequently with a wooden spoon, once ready, sprinkle generously with chopped parsley, another drizzle of raw extra virgin olive oil, and the baby octopus and zucchini stew is ready to be enjoyed.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
What are the right cooking times for mollusks?
The cooking times for mollusks obviously change based on weight and type. For example, for octopus, you must calculate 1 hour for every kg of weight. For cuttlefish, 20 minutes are enough, for squid even 40 minutes, while baby octopus are more tender and only require 20 minutes. However, the best method, besides having guidelines, remains always the taste test.
