Fusilli, Red Wine-braised Octopus, and Bone Marrow

Serves 6 as an appetizer or 4 as a main dish

1/4 cup olive oil
1 large spanish onion, 1/4 " diced
1 rib celery, diced 1/4" diced
1 carrot, coarsely grated
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
Sachet of 1 bay leaf and 4 sprigs thyme
Sliced fresh basil (optional)
1½ pounds baby octopi, beaks removed
1 cup dry Red wine
3 1/4 cups tomato purée
Kosher Salt
Black pepper
Peperoncino pepper flakes
½ pound bone marrow 1" dice
1 pound dry fusilli or freshly made
2 tabl seasoned toasted bread crumbs

Method --

n a heavy pot over medium-high flame, heat olive oil. Add onion, celery, carrot, garlic, and sachet. Reduce heat to medium and sauté 2 to 3 minutes.

Add octopus and cook 5 minutes, or until they turn opaque and release some liquid.

Add the red wine, bring to boil, and let the alcohol cook off for 30 seconds.

Add tomato purée, stirring to combine. Season with salt, pepper, and peperoncino.

Reduce heat to medium and simmer, covered, for 1 hour, until fork tender. Check the liquid periodically to be sure it has not boiled off.

Season bone marrow with salt and pepper. Heat a medium sauté pan over high flame until very hot. Add bone marrows and cook vigorously 1 minute, stirring with a wooden spoon. The marrow should sear but not melt completely. Drain seared marrow on paper towels; reserve liquefied marrow in a glass bowl.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add fusilli to the boiling water and cook 2 minutes less than specified on package instructions; drain and reserve 1 cup pasta water. Bring the red wine-tomato sauce back to a simmer. Add bone marrow and stir to combine. Add pasta to sauce and stir to combine. Add reserved bone marrow fat, which will emulsify into the dish.Add a tablespoon of fresh basil and stir in. Season with salt and pepper, divide into four shallow bowls, and serve.

Assembly--Divide the pasta and sauce amoung plates and sprinkle with bread crumbs. Divide the pasta and sauce amoung plates and sprinkle with bread crumbs.