Italian seafood pasta / Apulian coastal first course
A coastal Apulian pasta with briny mussels, sweet tomato sauce, garlic, parsley, and a glossy finish of extra-virgin olive oil. Simple, fragrant, and perfect for a seafood table with a beautiful typical Taranto-inspired background.
Recipe video
Scrub the mussels under cold running water and pull away the beards.
Discard any broken mussels, or open mussels that do not close when tapped.
Warm 15 ml / 1 tbsp olive oil with one crushed garlic clove in a wide pot over medium heat.
Add the mussels and white wine, cover, and cook for 3–5 minutes until the shells open.
Strain and reserve the mussel cooking liquid through a fine sieve.
Remove most mussels from their shells, keeping a few whole for garnish.
Heat 30 ml / 2 tbsp olive oil in a large pan with the second garlic clove and optional chili.
Add the tomato passata, a small pinch of salt, and black pepper.
Simmer the tomato sauce gently for 12–15 minutes until slightly reduced.
Stir in part of the reserved mussel liquid to make the sauce savory and silky.
Boil the trenette in salted water until very al dente.
Transfer the pasta into the tomato sauce with a splash of pasta water.
Add the shelled mussels and toss for 1–2 minutes until glossy and well coated.
Finish with chopped parsley, optional lemon zest, and the reserved whole mussels.
