Pasta Fagioli with Mussels (Cozze)
Tidbits... this Neopolitan version of the classic "Pasta Fagioli" (Pasta with beans) uses fresh egg pasta Maltagliata (roughly cut) coupled with fresh mussels. Delicious!
Ingredients
- Dried Borlotti o Cannelli Beans - 200 g
- Mussels - 500 g
- Maltagliata - 200 g
- Tomato sauce - 1/2 cup
- White wine - 1 cup
- Red onion - 1
- Garlic - 1 clove
- Parsley - 1 T
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil - 2 T
- Salt and pepper - To taste
Instructions
- Soak beans overnight then drain and cook about 1 hour in abundant unsalted water. Remove with slotted spoon and preserve water.
- Scrub and clean mussels, cook on high with 2 Tbl. olive oil, pinch of sea salt, when hot add wine and cover until opened.
- Remove cover and let wine reduce then remove about 2/3 from shells. Keep remaining mussels for garnish.
- In 2 Tbl. olive oil saute chopped onions, garlic and parsley until golden. Stir in tomato sauce. Add cooked beans and shelled mussels stir until well coated then add a couple of ladels of bean cooking liquid. Turn on low.
- Cook fresh pasta in lightly salted boiling water. Do not overcook. Add drained pasta to bean and mussel mixture and toss until well coated.
- Serve hot with 4 or 5 mussels on top of each bowl.
