SPAGHETTI WITH GRILLED OCTOPUS

Smoke and brine meet a slow-simmered tomato sauce in this plate of spaghetti with grilled octopus.

• Spaghetti, cooked to a firm, toothsome bite.

• Grilled octopus, charred and tender.

• Pancetta, crisped down to render its fat.

• Parmesan, grated fine over the top.

• Tomato sauce, cooked low and slow.

The octopus is grilled until the edges catch and the interior stays silky, then tossed through spaghetti with pancetta and tomato sauce so the rendered fat and the char both work into the coating. Parmesan goes on last, melting into the heat rather than sitting on top of it. A straightforward plate, built on contrast: smoke against sweetness, chew against tenderness. Contains: gluten, dairy, shellfish, fish.