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Pasta with Zucchini, Mussels, and Pecorino

17/11/2023

Pasta with zucchini, mussels, and pecorino is a dish that excellently blends the flavors of the sea with those of the land. The pecorino, with its strong taste, completes the aromatic profile of the dish. Here is how to prepare it:

Ingredients

  • 320 g of pasta (linguine or spaghetti work well)
  • 1 kg of fresh mussels
  • 2 medium zucchinis
  • 100 g of grated pecorino cheese
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • Fresh parsley to taste (as much as needed)
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt to taste
  • Black pepper to taste
  • 1 glass of dry white wine

Preparation

  1. Start by cleaning the mussels. Scrape the shells well, remove the byssus (the fibers that anchor them), and rinse them under running water. Then place them in a large pan with a drizzle of oil and a peeled garlic clove and let them open over high heat, covering with a lid. Once opened, shell most of the mussels, keeping some in their shells for the final presentation. Filter the released liquid and set it aside.

  2. Cut the zucchini into cubes or thin slices, depending on your preference. In a large pan, fry the other garlic clove in extra virgin olive oil, then add the zucchini. Cook until they become tender.

  3. Add the shelled mussels to the zucchini and deglaze with the white wine, allowing the alcohol to evaporate. Then add a few ladles of the filtered mussel liquid to further flavor the condiment.

  4. In the meantime, cook the pasta in plenty of salted water, following the package instructions to get al dente pasta.

  5. Drain the pasta and transfer it to the pan with zucchini and mussels, tossing everything together for a few minutes so that the flavors mix well.

  6. Adjust with salt and pepper and add the grated pecorino cheese, mixing well.

  7. Plate and decorate with the mussels in their shells and sprinkle with finely chopped fresh parsley.

Serve immediately, so the pasta is nice and hot and the melted pecorino gently wraps around the other ingredients.

Curiosity

Pecorino cheese can vary in degrees of aging. For this dish, it is preferable to choose a not too matured pecorino that will melt better with the other ingredients without overpowering their flavors.