In Australia, Easter is not a significant cultural event, whereas in Italy it is closely associated with religious observances and traditionally, Italian Catholics eat fish on Good Friday, even if they are not practising Catholics, hence a mussel recipe.
Victoria is a prolific producer of mussels, which I regularly purchase at the Queen Victoria Market. These are typically farmed in Port Phillip Bay and recently from Mount Martha. When available, I prefer to visit Portarlington, where they are sold directly from the boats. Mussels are a sustainable seafood option.
I plan to cook something simple – a pasta dish with Mussels. Cozze in Italian, cuzzili in Sicilian.
This is not a complicated dish. It is made with fresh mussels and a little fresh tomato, but not so much to mask the taste of the other ingredients.
Red, ripe tomatoes are excellent at this time of year, but tinned tomatoes are also suitable. I had some ripe, yellow heirloom tomatoes and added these as well in this sauce. The cause was slightly paler in colour but I did not taste any difference in taste.
Spaghetti (thin spaghetti) is used for this dish. The thin strands cook quickly but will also provide a greater surface area, allowing for greater absorption of the sauce.
The sauce is prepared quickly while the pasta is cooking. The same ingredients and method can be used with other fish, such as squid.
The use of grated cheese with fish is a traditional Sicilian practice. While it may not be common elsewhere in Italy, it is a distinctive feature of the dish. The cheese is optional, particularly if the fresh taste of the tomatoes is preferred.
spaghettini, 500g
mussels, 2 kg fresh, live mussels
red tomatoes, fresh, 500 g, chopped and peeled
garlic, 3 chopped…to taste
parsley, 1 cup finely chopped
extra virgin olive oil, ½ – ¾ cup
salt and pepper
basil, fresh, some stalks and leaves in the sauce and some leaves to decorate and provide a last-minute aroma
grated pecorino, (optional), to taste
Clean the mussels by rubbing them against each other in cold water (or use a scourer or brush). Pull the beards sharply towards the pointy end of the shell.
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a deep pan.
Add the mussels.
Cover and cook over a brisk flame, shaking the pan every now and then, until the mussels have opened. Turn off the flame and let them cool slightly, then remove and discard the shells of about ¾ of them. Use the whole mussels for decoration.
If the mussels have not opened after sufficient time, they are still alive and can be returned to heat. Save the liquid from the mussels, some will be used in the sauce, but store the leftover in jars in the freezer- it makes good fish stock.
Add the onion to a new pan, sauté till golden.
Add the chopped tomatoes and some basil stalks with leaves attached (these can be removed at time of serving).
Simmer the sauce for about 8-10 minutes, just to blend the flavours and to evaporate some of the tomato juice. Place the tomato sauce aside.
Add some extra virgin olive oil and garlic to a new pan (or wipe down the same pan that you have used to cook the sauce). Soften the garlic and add the parsley.
Cook the spaghettini.
Add the mussel meat to the pan and toss the ingredients around for a few minutes before adding the tomato sauce and as much of the mussel juice as you think you will need for the sauce. Remove the cooked basil (it has done its job).
Add the mussels in their shells (gently) to warm through.
Drain the pasta. Add it to the pan with the rest of the ingredients toss them around till they are well coated. Be gentle with the cooked mussels in their shells as you want to keep the mussel meat in the shell.
Add fresh basil leaves.
Present with grated cheese for those who wish.
Pasta with cozze is eaten all over Italy but in Northern Italy parsley and garlic are the preferred flavourings and no tomatoes. No grated cheese in the north either!
MUSSELS, three ways: in brodetto, with spaghetti and risotto
COZZE IN BRODETTO (mussels in a little broth)