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1
Place 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet or saute pan over medium-high heat.
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2
Add the carrot, onion, and celery.
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3
Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion becomes translucent, about 5 minutes.
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4
Add the octopus along with some pepper and a little more salt.
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5
Cook, stirring, for a minute, then add the wine, bay leaf, and garlic.
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6
Cook until the octopus is tender, about an hour (check with the point of a sharp knife).
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7
Remove the octopus and cut it into bite-sized pieces, then return it to the skillet; turn the heat to a minimum.
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8
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt.
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9
Fifteen minutes before eating, begin to cook the pasta.
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10
When it is barely tenderbut not nearly tender enough to eatdrain it, reserving about 1 cup of the cooking water.
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11
Add the pasta to the octopus mixture, along with half the reserved cooking water.
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12
Cook until the pasta is tender but not mushy, adding the remaining cooking water if necessary to keep the mixture from drying out.
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13
Add the remaining olive oil, along with the cherry tomatoes.
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14
Cook for another minute, taste and adjust the seasoning, then stir in the basil and serve.
