Tagliatelle in octopus and cherry tomatoes basil sauce

Ingredients for 4 persons:

For the dough:
320 g fresh egg tagliatelle
For the sauce:
500 g Adriatic sand octopus already cleaned; 300 g pendolino cherry tomatoes; 2 garlic cloves; ½ small golden onion; 1 fresh chili pepper (optional); 1/2 glass dry white wine; Extra-virgin olive oil to taste; Salt and black pepper to taste; A small bunch of fresh basil

Directions:

Rinse the baby octopuses well under cold water. Blanch them in water and coarsely chop them if needed.

In a large frying pan, heat a drizzle of oil and add the crushed garlic cloves, finely chopped onion and, if you like, chili pepper. Add the baby octopus and brown them for a few minutes, deglaze with white wine and let it evaporate completely.

When the octopus sauce is dry, add a little water and finish cooking over medium-low heat until the octopus is tender.

Cook the egg tagliatelle in boiling salted water and drain them when al dente, then pour them into the sauce pan.

Add the cherry tomatoes cut into 4 and a few hand-cracked basil leaves and toss the tagliatelle in the sauce for a couple of minutes

Sauté with a drizzle of oil and serve.

Wine pairing:

(Edited by Stefania Vinciguerra)

Colli Aprutini Pecorino 2023 Centovie Estate – Umani Ronchi

Intense straw yellow. The nose presents citrus and floral aromas of bergamot, yellow orange, narcissus, linden blossom and annurca apple. The acidity is lively and draws the taut, savory sip.

Production area: the estate in Roseto degli Abruzzi, with heavenly views of the Gran Sasso d’Italia. The soils are loamy loamy in nature, deep and with an important sandy and skeletal component.

Grape varieties: 100% Pecorino grown on Guyot with organic viticulture.

Harvest: is done by hand and usually takes place in the first decade of September, taking great care to maintain the grapes’ characteristic acidity high, along with perfect fruit health. The grapes are transported from the vineyard to the winery in small steel carts to respect their integrity as much as possible.

Production processes: the grapes undergo soft pressing and the free-run juice is separated from the pressing must and cooled and then statically decanted. Fermentation is carried out in steel tanks at a temperature of about 16-18°C and lasts for 20 days. The wine does not undergo malolactic fermentation. Aging takes place for about 12 months in cement. This is followed by bottle aging for 5 months before release.

Serving temperature: 10-12°C.

Recommended pairings: Stuffed pastas, roasted white meat, roasted fish.