Italian · lunch, dinner

Polpo alla Luciana (Neapolitan Octopus in Tomato Sauce)

Name: Polpo alla Luciana (Neapolitan Octopus in Tomato Sauce)
Total time: 80 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 octopus, about 1 kg, cleaned; 300 g cherry or datterini tomatoes, cut into chunks; 20–30 green olives (Gaeta olives are the traditional choice); 10–12 capers, salted or in brine; 1 garlic clove, crushed in its skin; 2 small chillies (peperoncino), to taste; a handful of fresh parsley, stalks and leaves kept apart; extra virgin olive oil, enough to cover the base of the pot (about 3 tbsp); a pinch of salt

Polpo alla luciana

Watch how it’s made · 8:25

Video by Chef Stefano Barbato on YouTube, in Italian · Open on YouTube

80 minServes 4332 kcal a serve

Low carb (8 g net carbs) but not keto: 41% of the energy is from fat, and keto meals get about 60% or more
Pescatarian
Gluten-free ingredients
Dairy-free
Nut-free

Contains: Molluscs. Check labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes.

About 38 g protein and 8 g net carbs a serve: octopus stewed in its own juices with fresh tomatoes, olives and capers, with no water or flour added.

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Ingredients 9

1 octopus, about 1 kg, cleaned
300 g cherry or datterini tomatoes, cut into chunks
20–30 green olives (Gaeta olives are the traditional choice)
10–12 capers, salted or in brine
1 garlic clove, crushed in its skin
2 small chillies (peperoncino), to taste
a handful of fresh parsley, stalks and leaves kept apart
extra virgin olive oil, enough to cover the base of the pot (about 3 tbsp)
a pinch of salt

Method

The cook speaks Italian; every step is written here in English. Tap a time to watch that step in the video. For subtitles, tap CC in the video, then Settings › Subtitles › Auto-translate › English.

Clean the octopus (or buy it cleaned, as the cook does): turn the head inside out and remove the innards, cut out the eyes and push out the beak with your finger. Rinse well. 1:10
Cover the base of a heavy pot (ideally terracotta, over a heat diffuser) with olive oil. Add the crushed garlic, the chillies and the capers and let them sizzle gently. 2:37
While that cooks over low heat, cut the tomatoes into chunks: quarters for small ones, sixths for larger ones. 3:02
Add the parsley stalks to the pot, then lower the octopus in slowly, head first, so the head releases its water and the octopus doesn't stick. 3:32
Add the olives, tomatoes and a little salt. Raise the heat until it starts to simmer in its own liquid, then put the lid on. 4:01
Once it has released its liquid, move to the lowest heat and cook covered for 25 minutes, turn the octopus, then cook another 20 minutes, until the tentacles relax into the sauce. 4:29
Turn off the heat and leave the octopus to rest in the pot for 15 minutes, then stir in the chopped parsley leaves and serve with the sauce. 4:57

Tip. Serves 4 is our estimate for a 1 kg octopus. Go easy on salt: olives, capers and the octopus are already salty. Neapolitans mop up the sauce with bread; a green salad keeps it lower in carbs.

The method is a summary in our words — the video shows every step.

One serve gives you 1 of 4

Energy332 kcal1,390 kJ

Protein38 g77% of a day

Fibre1.6 g6% of a day

Carbohydrate9.6 g8 g net · 2.1 g sugars3% of a day

Fat15 g2.3 g saturated19% of a day

Sodium1,040 mg45% of a day

Where the energy comes from one serve

Net carbs 10%
Protein 48%
Fat 42%

Low carb: under 26% of the energy is from carbs.

Vitamins & minerals % of a day, one serve · tap for more

Vitamin B12 High1875%

45 µg a serve, mostly from octopus (100%). Keeps nerves and blood cells healthy. Found almost only in animal foods and fortified foods (some plant milks, nutritional yeast), so vegans need a reliable source.

Selenium High205%

113 µg a serve, mostly from octopus (100%). Part of the body's antioxidant enzymes and needed for thyroid hormones. Seafood, eggs, meat and Brazil nuts are rich sources.

Iron High69%

13 mg a serve, mostly from octopus (95%). Carries oxygen in your blood. Iron from plants absorbs better with vitamin C in the same meal — lemon, tomato or capsicum.

Vitamin K High62%

74 µg a serve, mostly from fresh parsley (83%). Needed for blood clotting and bones. Leafy greens and herbs are very rich in it. If you take warfarin, keep your intake steady and talk to your doctor.

Vitamin B6 High52%

0.9 mg a serve, mostly from octopus (91%). Helps turn food into energy and make brain messengers. Chickpeas, fish, poultry, potatoes and bananas are good sources.

Zinc High40%

4.4 mg a serve, mostly from octopus (95%). Needed for immunity, wound healing, taste and growth. Meat, seafood, legumes, seeds and whole grains supply it.

Omega-3 High34%

0.5 g a serve, mostly from octopus (83%). Omega-3 fats support the heart and brain. Oily fish give EPA and DHA; walnuts, flax, chia and canola give ALA, which the body converts only a little.

Vitamin C High29%

26 mg a serve, mostly from cherry or datterini tomatoes (39%). An antioxidant needed for collagen, immunity and iron absorption. Long cooking destroys some, so raw herbs, citrus and capsicum help.

Vitamin E High27%

4 mg a serve, mostly from octopus (38%). An antioxidant that protects cell membranes. Nuts, seeds and plant oils such as olive oil are the main sources.

Potassium High21%

1000 mg a serve, mostly from octopus (79%). Balances sodium to help control blood pressure and keeps muscles and nerves working. Beans, potatoes, leafy greens and fruit are rich sources.

Magnesium High21%

88 mg a serve, mostly from octopus (86%). Takes part in hundreds of reactions — energy, muscles, nerves, blood sugar and bones. Nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains are good sources.

Vitamin A Source18%

163 µg a serve, mostly from octopus (69%). Keeps eyes, skin and the immune system healthy. Orange vegetables and dark greens give beta-carotene, which the body turns into vitamin A.

Calcium Source12%

155 mg a serve, mostly from octopus (85%). Builds bones and teeth and helps muscles and nerves work. Dairy, calcium-set tofu, sardines with their bones and some greens supply it.

Folate Source12%

48 µg a serve, mostly from octopus (63%). Needed to make DNA and new cells — especially important before and in early pregnancy. Legumes and leafy greens are rich sources.

Show the other 1

Vitamin D0%

0 µg a serve. Helps you absorb calcium for bones and supports muscles. Few foods have much — oily fish, eggs, UV-exposed mushrooms, fortified milks. Sunlight is the main source.

Estimated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central values; % of a day uses the food-label daily values. How this works

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Recipe and video by Chef Stefano Barbato; the method summary, nutrition estimate and diet notes are Notbroken’s. General information about food, not dietary advice.