The octopus, potato, and cherry tomato salad with pesto is a fresh dish, simple to make, and perfect to enjoy on hot summer days.
Some precautions are taken to cook the octopus to ensure it is very tender, and it is then paired with potatoes, which we know is a perfect combination.
Additionally, cherry tomatoes are added, giving the dish the sweet and fresh touch that distinguishes them. The extra touch is given by the drops of pesto, made in a version that is well suited to seasoning fresh fish dishes.
This salad can be served as a single dish and prepared in advance, although it is advisable to add the cherry tomatoes and pesto just before serving.
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Rest time: 2 Hours
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 405.65 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 30.71 (g) of which sugars 8.76 (g)
- Proteins 28.33 (g)
- Fat 20.07 (g) of which saturated 4.23 (g)of which unsaturated 4.92 (g)
- Fibers 4.38 (g)
- Sodium 435.13 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 300 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
- 2 octopuses (large fresh or frozen)
- 1.1 lbs potatoes
- 7 oz cherry tomatoes
- 3 sprigs parsley
- Half lemon (juice)
- 2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- black pepper (ground (optional))
- 1 pinch fine salt
- 0.7 oz basil
- 0.35 oz parsley
- 0.5 oz pecorino cheese
- 0.5 oz Grana Padano PDO
- 3 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- 1.06 oz almonds
- 1 clove garlic
- as needed salt
Tools
- Blender / Mixer
- Large pot
- Cutting board
- Vegetable knife
Preparation
To prepare the octopus, potato, tomato, and pesto salad, start by cooking the octopus in moderately salted water a few hours in advance.
Adjust according to the size, but in 30/40 minutes it’s ready.
The fork should penetrate it well, but don’t overcook, otherwise, we’ll have a mushy octopus.
For a firm but tender flesh, it’s important to let it cool down or at least warm in its cooking water.
Clean the potatoes, cut them into cubes, and boil them in salted water until they are cooked but not overcooked. This is to shorten the time, but if preferred, they can be boiled with the skin and then cut afterward.
Once ready, drain them and let them cool.
In the mixer glass, put the basil, almonds, oil, salt, pecorino, Grana Padano, and a parsley sprig. Blend until you get a pesto.
Wash the cherry tomatoes and cut them in half.
Take the octopus out of the water, cut it into pieces removing the beak.
Now assemble the salad by combining, in a bowl, the octopus and potatoes, now cold, and the tomato.
Dress with an emulsion made with oil, juice of half a lemon, finely chopped parsley, a pinch of salt, and freshly ground black pepper, mix.
Transfer to a serving dish and serve with scattered pesto drops and leaving a small bowl containing the rest of the pesto available to diners.
The octopus, potato, and cherry tomato salad with pesto is ready!
Storage
When tightly closed, it keeps in the fridge for a couple of days; add cherry tomatoes and pesto only when serving.
When tightly closed, it keeps in the fridge for a couple of days; add cherry tomatoes and pesto only when serving.
Also store the pesto in the fridge, in a tightly closed bowl with film, for a couple of days.
Also store the pesto in the fridge, in a tightly closed bowl with film, for a couple of days.
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