A creamy white-bean soup, finished with seared langoustines, tender baby octopus, and a generous pour of olive oil. Coastal Italian home cooking at its most comforting.
Ingredients
- 400 g cooked white beans (cannellini or borlotti)
- 1 garlic clove, smashed
- 4 ripe tomatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
- A small bunch of wild rocket (arugula)
- A few sprigs of fresh thyme
- 350 g baby octopus (moscardini), cleaned
- 430 g medium langoustines (scampi), tails only
- Extra virgin olive oil, generous
- A handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped
- Fine sea salt and black pepper
Method
- In a saucepan, sauté the garlic in olive oil over medium heat until fragrant. Add about two-thirds of the beans, three of the chopped tomatoes, and a handful of roughly torn rocket. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, adding a splash of water if it tightens too much. Blend until smooth.
- In a separate pan, warm a generous splash of olive oil. Add the remaining whole beans with the thyme leaves and the last chopped tomato. Cook briefly until fragrant.
- Add the baby octopus and cook for about 6 to 8 minutes, until tender and the pan juices have reduced.
- Add the langoustine tails and cook for a final 2 to 3 minutes, until just pink and firm.
- Spoon the bean cream into deep bowls. Top with the octopus, langoustines, and remaining beans. Scatter parsley and the rest of the rocket.
- Drizzle generously with raw olive oil and grind black pepper over the top. Serve with crusty bread.
Notes
- Add the langoustines last. A minute too long and they go rubbery.
- The raw olive oil at the finish is not optional. Use the best you have; it changes the whole dish.
- Make the base ahead. It only improves overnight.
