Spaghetti with mussels alla Tarantina.
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
20 mins
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Cook Time
30 mins
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Total Time
50 mins
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Servings
4
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Calories
635 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Italian
Spaghetti with mussels alla Tarantina.
Description
This recipe for Spaghetti with mussels alla Tarantina starts with cleaning fresh mussels and cooking them gently with garlic, parsley, olive oil, and white wine until they open. The cooking liquid is reserved for flavor. The sauce is created by sautéing garlic and chili flakes then simmering with fresh quartered tomatoes or passata, seasoned with salt and pepper.
Cooked mussels, both shelled and in shell, are added to the sauce along with some strained cooking liquid to enrich the flavor. Spaghetti alla chitarra or similar pasta is cooked al dente and combined with the mussel sauce, coating each strand with a bright, savory, and slightly spicy tomato broth enriched with the mussels’ briny essence.
Serve hot, garnished with fresh chopped parsley. The dish balances tender spaghetti, succulent mussels, and sweet-tart tomato sauce. It can also be enjoyed with bread to soak up the sauce, a traditional alternative that preserves most mussels in their shells for easier handling.
Adjust heat level by varying the amount of chili flakes or fresh peperoncino. Discard any mussels that do not open during cooking to ensure safety.
Ingredients
- 1 kg mussels 2.2lbs, fresh
- 400 g spaghetti alla chitarra (14oz) or normal spaghetti or linguine
- 500 g tomatoes 13.5oz) cut into quarters or 350 g tomato passata, small
- 1 teaspoon red chili flakes or chopped fresh peperoncino, peperoncino
- 3 garlic 2 chopped finely, 1 only peeled, cloves
- 4 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 handful parsley chopped, fresh
- 100 ml white wine (3.5floz)
- salt for pasta and to taste
- black pepper to taste, ground
Instructions
- Wash the mussels well. remove all the debris on the shells with a wire brush and remove the beards.
- Put a deep pan or skillet on the stove with 2 tbsp. of olive oil, the peeled garlic clove and some chopped parsley.
- Warm the oil up a little, then add the mussels and the white wine. Allow the alcohol to evaporate then cover with a lid. Take the pan off the heat as soon as the shells have opened.
- Allow the mussels to cool down a little, then discard all the mussels that didn't open. Keep 3-4 mussels per person in their shells and remove the other mussels from their shells. Filter the mussel cooking liquid and set aside.
- Put a pot of water on to boil for the pasta. When it starts to boil add salt.
- In a frying pan, sauté the chopped garlic and peperoncino flakes in 2 tablespoon of olive oil, add the finely chopped tomatoes or tomato passata, a pinch of salt and a little pepper. Simmer over a low heat for 5-10 minutes.
- Add the all the mussels (with shells and without) and their filtered cooking liquid to the tomato sauce.
- Mix well and continue cooking over a low heat for a few minutes, until the liquid has reduced to a good consistency.
- Cook the pasta al dente according to the instructions on the packet.
- When the pasta is cooked, drain it and add it to the pan with the mussels and tomato sauce. Mix everything together well. Plate the pasta and mussels allocating a 3-4 mussels in their shells to each plate.
- Serve sprinkled with freshly chopped parsley.
Notes
- This dish can be served with crusty bread instead of pasta, leaving most mussels in shells.
- Increase peperoncino or red chili flakes for a spicier flavor profile.
- Discard any mussels that do not open after cooking as they are unsafe to eat.
- Use fresh parsley for garnish to add brightness before serving.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 635 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 635kcal | 32% |
| Carbohydrates | 85g | 28% |
| Protein | 29g | 58% |
| Fat | 19g | 29% |
| Saturated Fat | 3g | 15% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 3g | 18% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 11g | 55% |
| Cholesterol | 36mg | 12% |
| Sodium | 380mg | 16% |
| Potassium | 952mg | 20% |
| Fiber | 5g | 20% |
| Sugar | 6g | 12% |
| Vitamin A | 1330IU | 27% |
| Vitamin C | 29mg | 32% |
| Calcium | 74mg | 7% |
| Iron | 7mg | 39% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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