Jul 14 2026
Restaurants›Pasta Beach Newport›Grilled Octopus Recipe

Grilled Octopus Recipe

Inspired by Pasta Beach Newport
Time2h 30m
Serves4

Cannellini bean purée, confit tomatoes

Jump to Recipe

Was this page helpful?

Help improve this recipe for others.

Send this recipe to your inbox.

We'll email it straight to you - plus weekly cooking inspiration.

Ingredients

Some product links may be affiliates. If you buy through them, you're supporting the site and Pekin may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Octopus & Cooking Liquid

Cannellini Bean Purée

Confit Tomatoes

Finishing & Garnish

Method

Octopus & Cooking Liquid

  1. 1

    Prepare and tenderize octopus

    If your octopus is frozen, thaw completely; freezing helps tenderize. Rinse the octopus under cold water, remove the beak by turning the head inside out and cutting it out if still present. Keep tentacles intact.

  2. 2

    Simmer braising liquid

    In a large wide pot, combine 2 liters water, 250 ml white wine, 2 bay leaves, 1 tbs peppercorns, 3 smashed garlic cloves, 3 tbs olive oil and 1.5 tbs salt. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat.

  3. 3

    Cook the octopus gently

    Lower the octopus into the simmering liquid (submerge; if necessary weigh it down with a plate). Reduce heat so the liquid holds at a bare simmer — not a rolling boil — and cook until the thickest part of the tentacle is tender when pierced with a knife, about 45–60 minutes for a 1–1.2 kg octopus. Start checking at 40 minutes. The tentacles should offer little resistance but still have some bite.

  4. 4

    Cool in cooking liquid

    Turn off heat and let the octopus cool in the cooking liquid for 20–30 minutes to retain moisture and finish tenderizing, then lift out and pat dry with paper towels. Reserve 120 ml of the cooking liquid for the purée or thinning if needed; discard the rest or save for another use.

  5. 5

    Prepare for grilling

    Trim any excessively thick parts of the head if desired. Cut the tentacles into 2–3 piece lengths for serving. Toss the pieces with 1–2 tbs olive oil and a pinch of sea salt flakes so they are lightly coated before grilling.

  6. 6

    Grill the octopus

    Preheat a grill or grill pan over high heat until very hot. Grill the octopus pieces 1.5–2 minutes per side to get good char and color (longer for thicker pieces), brushing with reserved cooking liquid or olive oil as they cook. Do not overcook — grilling only adds color and a smoky note. Remove and rest briefly.

Cannellini Bean Purée

  1. 7

    Blend beans

    Place the drained cannellini beans (400 g), minced garlic, 3 tbs extra-virgin olive oil, 1 tbs lemon juice, 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, 0.5 tsp salt and 0.25 tsp black pepper into a food processor or high-speed blender.

  2. 8

    Adjust texture

    Pulse to combine, then stream in 120 ml vegetable or chicken stock while blending until a smooth, silky purée forms. If too thick, add additional reserved octopus cooking liquid 1 tbs at a time until desired consistency is reached. Taste and adjust seasoning.

  3. 9

    Warm and keep ready

    Transfer purée to a small saucepan and warm gently over low heat for 2–3 minutes before plating, stirring to ensure it remains smooth. Keep warm until the octopus is grilled.

Confit Tomatoes

  1. 10

    Prepare tomatoes

    Preheat oven to 140°C (285°F). Place 400 g cherry tomatoes in a single layer in an oven-safe dish. Scatter 3 thinly sliced garlic cloves and 3 sprigs fresh thyme among the tomatoes.

  2. 11

    Add oil and season

    Pour 120 ml extra-virgin olive oil over the tomatoes so they are mostly submerged. Season with 0.5 tsp salt, 0.25 tsp black pepper and 0.5 tsp sugar if using. Gently shake the dish to distribute oil and aromatics.

  3. 12

    Slow-roast

    Roast in the preheated oven for 60–75 minutes, until tomatoes are soft, skins blistered and oil is fragrant. The tomatoes should be tender and slightly wrinkled but still hold shape.

  4. 13

    Cool and finish

    Let the tomatoes cool slightly in the oil. Remove thyme sprigs and discard. Keep tomatoes warm in the oil or bring to room temperature depending on serving preference. Reserve some confit oil for finishing the plate.

Finishing & Assembly

  1. 14

    Plate the purée

    Spoon a generous smear of warm cannellini purée onto each plate as the base for the octopus (about 3–4 tbs purée per serving). Use the back of the spoon to create an even bed.

  2. 15

    Arrange octopus and tomatoes

    Place grilled octopus pieces on top of the purée (3–4 tentacle pieces per serving depending on size). Spoon several confit tomatoes and a little of the confit oil alongside and over the octopus to add sweetness and acidity.

  3. 16

    Finish with oil, seasoning and herbs

    Drizzle about 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil (from finishing) per plate and a few drops of reserved confit oil. Sprinkle a small pinch of sea salt flakes and 0.5 tsp smoked paprika (optional) over the octopus. Garnish with microgreens or chopped parsley and serve with lemon wedges on the side.

  4. 17

    Serve

    Serve immediately while the octopus is warm so the purée is silky and the confit tomatoes are succulent.

More from Pasta Beach Newport