Strong, bold flavours, such as those in this dish, make you feel warm in winter. Large octopus has a really delicious flavour and texture. If you can’t find any, then baby octopus will cook the same way, but you may need to reduce the cooking time – try checking after 20 minutes. It’s nice to leave the pits in the olives as they add to the tannins but, if you’re concerned about breaking your teeth, I suggest removing them. This is delicious served as a sauce with plain pasta, but I suggest cutting the octopus into bite-sized chunks. Good types of pasta to use would be the larger kinds that hold sauce well, such as shells and penne.