Pasta, beans and mussels
If you are looking for the recipe to prepare the pasta beans and mussels creamy and tasty as they do in Naples you are definitely in the right place! ^_^
I must confess that it is only a couple of years that I discovered to love this first course so simple and at the same time so tasty. Preparing the pasta beans and mussels is child's play that requires few ingredients, a minimum expense and some small variation compared to the classic recipe of pasta and beans. A very tasty first course sea and land, directly from the Campania culinary tradition. The creaminess of the beans goes well with the taste of mussels.
A dish that blends sea and land to give life to something exceptional; It may seem like a combination of strange and unusual that of mussels and beans, but I assure you that the flavor is truly unique and unmistakable. A dish with a very simple preparation and a creamy and tasty result; if you are in Naples and go for lunch or dinner in any trattoria, you can be sure that you will find it on the menu. Following a few simple tricks the final result will be a dish to say the least fantastic!
Ingredients for 4 people
340 g pasta 4 ladles boiled beans (about 240 g dried)1 kg fresh mussels 2 garlic cloves salt to tastePepper to tasteHalf a fresh chili pepper parsley to taste8 cherry tomatoesextra virgin olive oil to taste
Procedure
Soften the dried beans by letting them soak in cool water overnight (12 h). After soaking, transfer them to a large pot, cover them with plenty of fresh water and boil them for about an hour (if you use the pressure cooker it will take 20 minutes) or in any case until completely cooked. Top up the water if it dries out too much and remember to salt only at the end of cooking! Wash the mussels thoroughly under running water, remove any incrustations and byssus (that kind of beard that comes out of the valves). In a large pan heat a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil with a clove of garlic, a couple of stalks of parsley (optional) and a piece of chili. Add the mussels, cover and cook over high heat for about 5-6 minutes, until they are open. During cooking, stir the mussels by grabbing the pan by the handles and shaking it. Turn off the heat, filter the cooking liquid, shell the mussels and set aside. Remember to keep some whole mussels (without shelling it) for the final decoration of the dishes and to remove the mussels that have not opened. In a saucepan fry a generous round of extra virgin olive oil, a clove of garlic, a piece of fresh chili, a sprig of chopped parsley and 8 ripe cherry tomatoes cut in half. Let it flavor a few minutes then add the beans, a few ladles of their cooking water and cook about ten minutes. Add half the cooking water of the mussels, bring to a boil and add the pasta. Cook the pasta adding if necessary a little liquid at a time (water or mussel cooking bottom) as it dries. As soon as the pasta is al dente, turn off the heat and stir adding the shelled mussels, a handful of chopped fresh parsley, a generous sprinkling of pepper and a last drop of mussels. The Neapolitan pasta beans and mussels is ready to be enjoyed. Transfer it to the plates and garnish each portion with parsley, freshly ground pepper, some mussels with the shell and a drizzle of raw oil.
Tricks & tipsThe ideal choice falls on fresh mussels to be cleaned and "burst" at the moment to enjoy them in full freshness and (which is absolutely essential) obtain that tasty seafood sauce to add while cooking pasta. I remind you that the trick to get a "pasta and beans that tastes of the sea" is precisely the cooking bottom of the mussels. A solution to shorten the time, and above all always have a supply of "tasty mussels ready to use", could be to buy mussels, clean them, cook them, shell them and freeze them immersed in their cooking water (well filtered). Now since I use this trick I can improvise a delicious bean and mussel paste in no time and without any effort.
NotesTo preserve the softness, taste and shape of mussels it is essential not to overcook them. The first advice is to remove the mussels from the pot as they open, the second is to add the precooked mussels to the dishes only with the heat off during the final creaming or at most in the last minute of cooking the dish. Beans personally I always prefer dry ones for several reasons: they are healthier, cheaper and I also find them tastier. I usually boil large quantities and freeze them in convenient portions. The bean and mussel pasta is born with the "mixed pasta", or the typical Neapolitan pasta that originates from the tradition of recovery. Alternatively, tubes are also fine, or any other short pasta.
If you are looking for the recipe to prepare the pasta beans and mussels creamy and tasty as they do in Naples you are definitely in the right place! ^_^
I must confess that it is only a couple of years that I discovered to love this first course so simple and at the same time so tasty. Preparing the pasta beans and mussels is child's play that requires few ingredients, a minimum expense and some small variation compared to the classic recipe of pasta and beans. A very tasty first course sea and land, directly from the Campania culinary tradition. The creaminess of the beans goes well with the taste of mussels.
A dish that blends sea and land to give life to something exceptional; It may seem like a combination of strange and unusual that of mussels and beans, but I assure you that the flavor is truly unique and unmistakable. A dish with a very simple preparation and a creamy and tasty result; if you are in Naples and go for lunch or dinner in any trattoria, you can be sure that you will find it on the menu. Following a few simple tricks the final result will be a dish to say the least fantastic!
Ingredients for 4 people
340 g pasta
4 ladles boiled beans (about 240 g dried)
1 kg fresh mussels
2 garlic cloves
salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Half a fresh chili pepper
parsley to taste
8 cherry tomatoes
extra virgin olive oil to taste
Procedure
Soften the dried beans by letting them soak in cool water overnight (12 h). After soaking, transfer them to a large pot, cover them with plenty of fresh water and boil them for about an hour (if you use the pressure cooker it will take 20 minutes) or in any case until completely cooked. Top up the water if it dries out too much and remember to salt only at the end of cooking! Wash the mussels thoroughly under running water, remove any incrustations and byssus (that kind of beard that comes out of the valves). In a large pan heat a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil with a clove of garlic, a couple of stalks of parsley (optional) and a piece of chili. Add the mussels, cover and cook over high heat for about 5-6 minutes, until they are open. During cooking, stir the mussels by grabbing the pan by the handles and shaking it. Turn off the heat, filter the cooking liquid, shell the mussels and set aside. Remember to keep some whole mussels (without shelling it) for the final decoration of the dishes and to remove the mussels that have not opened. In a saucepan fry a generous round of extra virgin olive oil, a clove of garlic, a piece of fresh chili, a sprig of chopped parsley and 8 ripe cherry tomatoes cut in half. Let it flavor a few minutes then add the beans, a few ladles of their cooking water and cook about ten minutes. Add half the cooking water of the mussels, bring to a boil and add the pasta. Cook the pasta adding if necessary a little liquid at a time (water or mussel cooking bottom) as it dries. As soon as the pasta is al dente, turn off the heat and stir adding the shelled mussels, a handful of chopped fresh parsley, a generous sprinkling of pepper and a last drop of mussels. The Neapolitan pasta beans and mussels is ready to be enjoyed. Transfer it to the plates and garnish each portion with parsley, freshly ground pepper, some mussels with the shell and a drizzle of raw oil.
Tricks & tips
The ideal choice falls on fresh mussels to be cleaned and "burst" at the moment to enjoy them in full freshness and (which is absolutely essential) obtain that tasty seafood sauce to add while cooking pasta. I remind you that the trick to get a "pasta and beans that tastes of the sea" is precisely the cooking bottom of the mussels. A solution to shorten the time, and above all always have a supply of "tasty mussels ready to use", could be to buy mussels, clean them, cook them, shell them and freeze them immersed in their cooking water (well filtered). Now since I use this trick I can improvise a delicious bean and mussel paste in no time and without any effort.
Notes
To preserve the softness, taste and shape of mussels it is essential not to overcook them. The first advice is to remove the mussels from the pot as they open, the second is to add the precooked mussels to the dishes only with the heat off during the final creaming or at most in the last minute of cooking the dish. Beans personally I always prefer dry ones for several reasons: they are healthier, cheaper and I also find them tastier. I usually boil large quantities and freeze them in convenient portions. The bean and mussel pasta is born with the "mixed pasta", or the typical Neapolitan pasta that originates from the tradition of recovery. Alternatively, tubes are also fine, or any other short pasta.
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