Pasta with a Mussels Ragu

By John, 9 August, 2020
Region
Italy
Description

Mussels ragu on pastaThis is a logical  variation on a nineteenth century recipe, recognized by Enrica at the delightful A Small Kitchen in Genoa blog.

In the photo, the whole mussels are just a garnish; the real point of this recipe is the sauce, made from seasoned finely chopped cooked mussels. It was delicious, and not at all difficult to make! 

Yield
2 Servings
Preparation time
20 minutes
Ingredients
1 Anchovy (soaked and rinsed)
2 T Pine Nuts
1⁄2 c Water
2 lb Mussels
4 T Olive oil
1 clv Garlic
3 T Parsley, Flat-Leaf (chopped)
1⁄2 lb Linguini
Instructions
  1. Start the water for the pasta.
  2. Soak the anchovy in a little cold water to make it less salty.
  3. Crush the pine nuts with a mortar and pestle, then add the cold water and let it sit a few minutes. The water will become "pine nut milk", like almond milk.
  4. In a saucepan with a cover, cook the mussels with no oil or water over medium-low heat until they open, just a few minutes.
  5. Start the linguini.
  6. Take the mussels out of the pan and keep the juices.
  7. In a separate skillet, cook the garlic and add the anchovy. Mash it into the oil until it more or less dissolves. Add the parsley and the pine nut milk, and cook for 5 minutes.
    9. Add the juices from the mussels and adjust for salt.
  9. Reserve a few of the prettiest mussels for a garnish, then for the rest of them, remove the mussels from the shells and chop the meat finely and add it to the sauce.
  10. Put the sauce into a big bowl, then put the drained pasta in the bowl and mix it all thoroughly.
  11. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with the whole mussels and a little more parsley.
Source
A Small Kitchen in Genoa blog