Spaghetti with baby octopus

An Italian-inspired weekday supper.  My friend Jay gave me a jar of baby octopus in oil for my birthday, and this is what I did with some of them (to prevent myself just eating them all out of the jar!)

Serves two

Half a jar of baby octopus in oil
1 brown onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, bruised
1 small chilli, cut in half and seeds removed (optional)
A handful of baby plum tomatoes, sliced
1tbs capers
A handful of flat leaf parsley, torn up
Juice of half a lemon
1 glass of red wine
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 bay leaf
Olive oil and 10g butter
Half a teaspoon of Gentlemens Relish or a couple of anchovies
150g spaghetti

Heat a pan, and add the butter, a splash of olive oil and the garlic. When the butter starts to foam, add the chopped onion, garlic and the chilli, if using. Stir well, and cook covered on a low heat for a few minutes.
Add the anchovy or Gentlemens Relish and the bay leaf. Cook for another ten minutes or so, adding the wine once it gets a bit dry, and before it starts to colour. Add the tomato, parsley and capers and cook for another few minutes. If the tomatoes are a bit sharp, add a bit of sugar if necessary.

Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti according to pack instructions. When cooked al dente, remove the garlic, bay leaf and chilli, and mix the drained spaghetti in with the sauce. Add the octopus with some of its oil and the lemon juice, and mix well.
Serve with mixed salad - ideally a mix of green and reddish leaves, to match the colours of the octopus and sauce.