Italiano
Pasta and beans with mussels is a typical Neapolitan dish – local inn style. The combination of vegetables and seafood produces an intense flavor and taste. But be careful. The real pasta and beans with mussels must not be a soup. The result should be creamy, where pasta is blended with the sauce that houses the mussels. Furthermore, the addition of the tomatoes colors it slightly , giving it even more appeal.
Ingredients (for 4 people)
200 grams of dried pinto beans
200 grams of pasta (we recommend the short-striped one)
1 kg of mussels
1 clove of garlic
1 shallot
chili
parsley
black pepper
oil
Preparation:
First, you need to soak the beans overnight. The next day, boil them in a pot with water for about an hour. While the beans are cooking, clean the mussels and place in a pan with oil, a clove of garlic and chopped parsley. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 5/10 minutes. Once cooked , strain the water and the sauce of mussels by placing it in a nice big cup.
Shell the mussels (if you want keep some whole to decorate the dishes ) and put them in a shallow dish , so they stay full-bodie. You still have a bit of time before cooking the beans, so in a large medium high saucepan sauté a clove of garlic and finely chopped shallots and a little chili (if you like the strong taste), and when the garlic is golden, scallion browned, remove it and add some sliced tomatoes ( cherry or better piennolo’s ).
Mix a bit in the mixture, and just a minute later , add the beans too ( do not throw their cooking water ). Stir amalgamating and after a minute add the cooking water from the beans required for boiling. At this point, put in the pasta. Halfway through cooking, add enough water to finish cooking, but this time it should be that of the mussels. At this time put all our previously shelled mussels. Stir and finish cooking until you obtain something creamy but not juicy.
Turn off the heat, add some pepper (only if you did not put the chili) and chopped parsley and, if necessary, add salt to taste (watch the salt , the water of the mussels already contains some). Serve garnishing dishes with whole mussels.
