Pasta con le cozze
My mother
cooked this dish yesterday for all of us. She used the fresh mussels that my
brother in law took from some rock by the sea. The result was a delicious,
succulent dish!
Cooking time: about 1 hour
Serves 2–3
Ingredients:
2 pounds (900 grams) fresh mussels
Extra virgin olive oil, about 8
tablespoons
2 large garlic cloves, peeled and
chopped
1 can Italian peeled tomatoes,
approximately 14 ounces (400 grams), mashed with a fork
Salt, about ½ teaspoon + 1½
tablespoons
10 cups (2½ liters) water
½ pound (approximately 250 grams)
mezze maniche rigate pasta
3 tablespoons fresh minced parsley
Method:1. Wash the mussels in cold running water to remove any grit or sand. Put them into a large pot, cover, and let cook on low heat for several minutes. When they have opened, turn off the heat. Make sure you don’t overcook them.
2. Set aside a few mussels to use as garnish and shell the others. Don’t discard the cooking liquid; filter it and set aside.
3. Heat about 4 tablespoons of the oil in a large pot. Add the garlic and sauté until light brown. Add the mashed tomatoes, 1 cup (250 ml) of the cooking liquid from the mussels, and ½ teaspoon salt. Cover and cook for about 40 minutes or until the tomato sauce thickens a little.
4. Add the shelled mussels to the pot and let cook together another 6–7 minutes. At this point, taste the sauce and add more salt if needed.
5. Meanwhile, bring the water to a boil in a large pot. Add 1½ tablespoons salt. Add the pasta and boil it, stirring often, until al dente. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Add the sauce with the mussels, 4 tablespoons oil, and parsley. Mix well and cook all together for 1–2 minutes.
6. Garnish each serving of pasta with the reserved mussels in their shells. Serve immediately.
Notes:
·
If
there is a risk of finding sand inside the shellfish, soak them in salted cold
water for about 3–4 hours. Drain and rinse well to remove any grit or sand.
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