Sardinian gnocchetti with mussels and tomato is a summer soup with a distinct sea flavor thanks to the presence of mussels and their cooking water.
The peculiarity of this dish is that the pasta cooks by absorption in the tomato sauce to which the mussel cooking water is added, much like pasta e fagioli with mussels.
The sautéed garlic, oil, and chili pepper give the entire dish a zesty note, while the fresh chopped parsley adds freshness to the whole preparation.
Now take a minute to read the recipe and then…let’s cook and eat!!
Also see
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Cooking time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Summer
Ingredients
- 11.3 oz Sardinian gnocchetti
- 2.2 lbs mussels
- to taste extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 fresh chili pepper
- 10.6 oz peeled tomatoes
- to taste water (hot)
- to taste parsley (stems and leaves)
- to taste salt
Tools
- 1 Pot
- 1 Strainer
- 1 Pan
- 1 Lid
- 1 Wooden Spoon
- 1 Ladle
Steps
To prepare the Sardinian gnocchetti with mussels and tomato, start by thoroughly cleaning the shellfish, which must be very fresh and high quality.
Place the mussels in a bowl and rinse them under running water, then check each one and remove the byssus, which is the beard that usually protrudes from the shell. Always under running water, and with the help of a steel sponge (or the back of a knife), clean the shells of each mussel until they are smooth and free of encrustations.
In a pan, heat a drizzle of oil with a clove of garlic and parsley stems, add the cleaned mussels, cover with a lid, and let cook for 4-5 minutes until all the mussels are open.
Then shell the mussels and strain their cooking water with a sieve and a paper towel. Cover the shelled mussels with part of this water to keep them from drying out and set aside the rest.
In a tall pot, prepare a sauté with garlic, oil, chili pepper, and parsley stems. When the garlic starts to sizzle, add the peeled tomatoes, previously crushed by hand or with a fork. Let the tomato sauce cook until reduced, then add the mussel cooking water and bring it to a boil.
At this point, add the Sardinian gnocchetti to the pot and cook them by adding a little hot water at a time, adjusting the salt if necessary. During the last two minutes of cooking, add the shelled mussels to the pot.
Let everything flavor until the pasta is fully cooked, then turn off the heat and add plenty of fresh chopped parsley. Plate and finish the preparation with a drizzle of raw olive oil. Accompany your Sardinian gnocchetti with mussels and tomato with a good glass of wine 😉.
Follow me also on:
Instagram Facebook Pinterest
