Pasta with Chickpeas, Mussels, and Burrata

Pasta with Chickpeas, Mussels, and Burrata is a dish that combines the flavor of the sea with the earthy taste of legumes and the creaminess of burrata. Here’s how to prepare this tasty dish with a strong Italian identity.

Ingredients

• 320 g of pasta (for example, orecchiette or linguine)
• 400 g of already cooked chickpeas (you can use canned for convenience)
• 1 kg of fresh mussels
• 200 g of burrata
• 2 cloves of garlic
• Fresh parsley to taste
• Extra virgin olive oil to taste
• Chili pepper (optional)
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Start by cleaning the mussels: remove the beards and scrape off the exterior encrustations, then rinse them under running cold water. Set aside.
2. In a large pan, fry the garlic cloves with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a piece of chili pepper if you like a spicy touch.
3. Add the mussels to the pan, cover with a lid and cook until they have all opened. It usually takes about 5 minutes. Once opened, remove the mussels from the heat and shuck most of them, leaving some whole for the final presentation.
4. Filter the water released by the mussels using a fine strainer to remove any sand residues, and set aside.
5. In a new pan, heat another drizzle of oil and add the chickpeas. Let them flavor for a few minutes and then add the filtered mussel water. Adjust with salt and pepper and let it cook for about 10 minutes over medium heat, so the flavors meld together.
6. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in plenty of salted water following the times on the package to obtain an al dente texture.
7. Drain the pasta and transfer it to the pan with the chickpeas, add the shucked mussels and let it all flavor together for a couple of minutes, so the pasta absorbs the flavors well.
8. Serve the pasta into dishes, complete with crumbled burrata on top, some shell-on mussels for decoration, and a sprinkling of freshly chopped parsley.

Note: The burrata will melt slightly from the heat of the pasta, creating a very pleasant contrast of textures and temperatures.

Curiosity

Chickpeas are a versatile ingredient widely used in Mediterranean cuisine. They represent a good source of plant proteins and are also rich in fibers and other essential nutrients. In this dish, together with the mussels, they create a convergence between land and sea typical of some Italian coastal areas, where the simultaneous use of land and sea ingredients in the same dish is a tradition.