Engagement Pasta

Mussel Pasta with Breadcrumbs and Tomatoes

Welcome! You’re At Isabelle’s—home to all things tasteful and tasty.

It has officially been two months (!!!) since Aaron and I got engaged. To celebrate, I wanted to recreate the pasta we had for lunch in Portoferraio, Italy, on the day he proposed.

I had absolutely no idea he was planning to propose on that trip, but leading up to it, he had done a ton of research and planned the perfect day for us in this tiny town on an Italian island. We visited two incredibly quiet beaches surrounded by dramatic cliffs and the most stunning water, went on a coastal walk, had the best gelato I have ever tasted and stopped for lunch at a small family-run restaurant.

It was at that lunch spot, overlooking the water, that we had the best mussel pasta. Aaron admittedly does not love mussels, but even he loved this one. It was a simple tomato pasta, but what surprised me was how the breadcrumbs were incorporated. I have had plenty of pastas topped with crispy breadcrumbs for texture, but never one with a sauce full of rehydrated ones. They brought so much body to the sauce, which clung to every strand of pasta and collected inside the mussel shells. I added some Calabrian chilli to my version for a little kick, since Aaron loves anything spicy, and finished it with torn basil.

the real engagement pasta!

Recipe

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp olive oil, divided

• 1/3 cup breadcrumbs

• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

• 2–3 tbsp Calabrian chilli paste, depending on the brand and your preferred spice level

• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• 1 lb mussels

• 1/2 cup white wine

• 170 g long pasta, such as linguine, spaghetti or bucatini

• 4 tbsp butter

• Basil, for topping (optional)

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

2. In a second medium pot or high-sided skillet, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs and toast, stirring or shaking the pot occasionally, until golden and fragrant, about 4 minutes. Transfer the breadcrumbs to a bowl and set aside. Carefully wipe out the pot with a paper towel.

3. Heat the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil in the same pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until lightly golden and fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the Calabrian chilli paste and cherry tomatoes, then season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook until the tomatoes begin to break down, about 5 minutes, gently crushing them with a spoon as they soften.

4. Add the mussels and white wine to the tomato mixture. Cover and cook, shaking the pot occasionally. Immediately add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until just shy of al dente; it will finish cooking in the sauce.

5. After 3 minutes, uncover the pot and check the mussels. Transfer any opened mussels to a large bowl. Continue cooking, covered, for another 1 to 2 minutes if needed, removing the mussels as they open. Discard any mussels that remain closed.

6. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the butter and allow it to melt into the sauce, then add all of the toasted breadcrumbs and stir until fully incorporated.

7. Using tongs or a pasta fork, transfer the pasta directly from the boiling water to the sauce. Add a ladleful of pasta water directly from the pot and toss continuously over medium-low heat until the pasta is fully cooked and the sauce is emulsified and clings to the strands, adding more pasta water as needed.

8. Divide the pasta between two bowls, top with the mussels and finish with torn basil, if desired.

That’s all for now! See you next time At Isabelle’s.