Across Italy · No.96 / 103
Spaghetti with Mussels
Spaghetti with Mussels
Spaghetti with strained mussel liquor folded into tomato sauce and the meat returned late.
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Meet the dish
A seafood pasta variation with mussels; no specific regional origin has been verified
Scrub the shells and remove barnacles and beards, then cover the mussels in garlic oil for two to three minutes until they open. Strain their liquor through fine cloth to remove grit. Simmer it with passata for twenty minutes and return the mussel meat only for the final two to three minutes.
Pasta shapes to use
- spaghetti
Key ingredients
- mussels in the shell
- passata
- garlic
- flat-leaf parsley
- strained mussel liquor
Follow the cooking scenes
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Step 1: Clean the shells
Scrub off deposits and pull the beard from the side of each mussel.
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Step 2: Steam them briefly
Cover in garlic oil for two to three minutes, shaking the pan.
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Step 3: Strain the liquor
Remove the mussels, strain the liquid through fine cloth and simmer it with passata for twenty minutes.
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Step 4: Return the meat late
Add mussel meat two to three minutes before the pasta is ready.
What to watch for
- Discard mussels that stay closed after cooking.
- Always filter the flavourful cooking liquor finely to remove grit.
What sets it apart
Mussels are larger and stronger than clams; this version folds their strained liquor into a tomato sauce.