The spaghetti with mussels and zucchini blossoms is a classic main course where the freshness of the sea meets the flavors of the land, much like the spaghetti with escarole and squid cream, the pasta and beans with mussels and the pasta with potato and mussel cream.
I don’t know about you, but I, who love mussels, eagerly await the months without an “r”, from May to August, to prepare dishes with this versatile shellfish, suitable not only for main courses but also for soups like the tarantina mussel soup and various delicacies such as gratinated mussels and mussel fritters.
Given that spaghetti is my favorite pasta shape and zucchini blossoms are a true passion, you’ll understand why this is definitely among my favorite dishes…and I’m sure it will win you over too.
Now take a minute to read the recipe and then…let’s cook and eat!!
See also
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer
Ingredients
- 11 oz spaghetti
- 2.2 lbs mussels
- 15 zucchini blossoms
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic
- to taste fresh chili peppers
- to taste salt
- to taste parsley
Tools
- 1 Frying Pan
- 1 Pot
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Colander
- 1 Ladle for spaghetti
- 1 Knife
- 1 Lid
Steps
Preparing spaghetti with mussels and zucchini blossoms is very simple, you just need a little patience and care in cleaning the shellfish.
First, wash the mussels under running water to clean them of any seaweed and surface impurities, then remove the byssus (the beard) protruding from each mussel and scrape off any incrustations from the shell (using a knife or a steel wool pad) until they are completely clean and shiny. Rinse again.
In a frying pan, sauté a garlic clove and some fresh parsley stems in a dash of extra virgin olive oil. When the garlic starts sizzling, add the mussels to the pan and cover with a lid.
As they open, remove the mussels from the pan and shell them into a small bowl, then filter the broth they released during cooking. You may choose to keep some mussels in the shell for the final plate decoration (I prefer not to).
With part of the filtered cooking water, cover the shelled mussels so they don’t dry out and keep the remaining part aside. Prepare a new sauté with garlic and chili, and when the garlic starts sizzling, add the mussels to the pan and let them flavor for a minute.
Then add the cleaned zucchini blossoms (remove the central pistil and pat them with paper towels to remove any impurities or small insects). Add a ladle of mussel cooking water and cook until the blossoms are completely softened.
Cook the spaghetti al dente, then transfer them (using a spaghetti ladle) into the pan with the mussel sauce, add a bit more of the mussel cooking water, and toss to blend the flavors.
Plate and serve your spaghetti with zucchini blossoms and mussels, accompanied by a good glass of white wine 😉.
