Pasta with Mussels and Breadcrumbs

Pasta with mussels and breadcrumbs is a simple and tasty dish that combines the freshness of the sea with the crunchiness of breadcrumbs. Here’s how it’s prepared:

Ingredients

• 320 grams of pasta (spaghetti, linguine or other long pasta)
• 1 kg of fresh mussels
• 100 grams of stale bread breadcrumbs
• 2 cloves of garlic
• Chili pepper (to taste)
• 4-5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• Fresh chopped parsley (to taste)
• Salt (to taste)

Preparation

1. Start by cleaning the mussels well under running water. Remove the beards with a knife and scrape the outer surface to remove any impurities. Place them in a covered pan over medium-high heat until they open. Strain the cooking liquid and set it aside.

2. Toast the previously crumbled breadcrumbs in a pan with a drizzle of oil until golden and crispy. Then transfer them to a plate with absorbent paper to remove excess oil.

3. In a large pan, sauté the garlic cloves with oil and chili pepper. Once the garlic is golden, remove it and add the mussels (removing their shells beforehand, if you prefer) and sauté for a few minutes.

4. Add the filtered mussel liquid and let it flavor for a couple of minutes. If you decide to leave some mussels in their shells, the dish will be more scenic at the end.

5. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in salted water following the times indicated on the package to achieve al dente cooking. Drain the pasta and set aside some cooking water.

6. Transfer the pasta to the pan with the mussels, add a little cooking water if necessary to emulsify everything and toss well to combine the flavors.

7. Serve immediately sprinkling with the toasted breadcrumbs and chopped parsley on each plate.

Trivia

The toasted breadcrumbs (or pangrattato) is a solution often used in Southern Italian cuisine to add crunchiness to pasta dishes. It was born as a method to not waste stale bread and has become a delicious addition in many dishes, especially those based on fish.