Mussels With Orecchiette And White Beans Recipes

MUSSELS WITH ORECCHIETTE AND WHITE BEANS

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the orecchiette and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain. Meanwhile, steam the mussels. When cool enough to handle, remove the mussels from the shells.
• Place the orecchiette in a large bowl. Add the mussels, beans, olive oil, salt, pepper and parsley. Toss to combine well. Divide among 4 pasta bowls and serve immediately.

WHITE BEAN, TOMATO AND SAUSAGE ORECCHIETTE

Steps:

• Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the orecchiette according to package instructions.
• Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up with the back of a spoon, until it starts to brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the sausage to a bowl with a slotted spoon, leaving all the oil in the skillet.
• Add the onions to the oil and cook until they start to soften and turn translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic to the skillet and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes start to blister and split, about 4 minutes. Add salt and pepper.
• Add the beans and return the sausage to the skillet. Cook until warmed through. Add the pasta and toss until it is completely coated. Add the Parmesan in batches, stirring to incorporate and letting it melt before more is added. Stir in the basil.
• Plate the pasta and top with more Parmesan and basil. Serve immediately.

ORECCHIETTE WITH BEANS AND MUSSELS

Steps:

• Boil the beans until just tender. Season with salt, pepper and extra-virgin olive oil. Reserve.
• In a heavy pot, slowly saute the garlic in the olive oil for 10 minutes. Add the carrot and celery and saute slowly for another 15 minutes.
• Add 1 cup of water and reduce rapidly for 5 minutes. Over high heat, add the mussels, cover and steam until they open. Remove them, shell them, reserve them. Boil the liquid in the pot for another 15 minutes.
• Mince the cherry tomatoes. Toss with fresh oregano.
• Boil the orecchiette until just al dente.
• When ready to serve, warm the tomato in the liquid for 1 minute. Add the beans, the shelled mussels, and the orecchiette. Toss together. Season with salt and pepper and extra-virgin olive oil. Serve immediately.

SPAGHETTI WITH MUSSELS AND WHITE BEANS

Steps:

• Heat butter and 2 tablespoons oil in a large heavy pot over medium-low heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring often, until beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes with juices, crushing tomatoes lightly with your hands. Increase heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring often, until sauce thickens, 10-15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain pasta, reserving 1 1/2 cups pasta cooking liquid.
• Add beans and wine to sauce. Cook, stirring often, until wine has almost evaporated, about 4 minutes. Add mussels and 1/4 cup pasta cooking liquid. Cover; cook, stirring occasionally, until mussels open, about 4 minutes (discard any that do not open).
• Add pasta and 1/4 cup pasta cooking liquid to mussels and stir to coat. Reduce heat to medium and continue stirring, adding more cooking liquid as needed, until sauce coats pasta. Divide among bowls. Drizzle with oil; garnish with parsley.

ORECCHIETTE WITH MUSSELS AND BROCCOLI RABE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to boil for pasta. Once it is boiling, plop the orecchiette into the pasta water, and cook until al dente.
• Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. When the oil is hot, add the crushed garlic. Let the garlic sizzle a minute, then add the mussels. Cover, and cook until the mussels open, about 5 minutes, then scoop the mussels up with a spider and put them in a bowl to cool slightly. Reserve any leftover liquid.
• Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat in another large skillet. Add the sliced garlic, and cook until sizzling and fragrant, about 1 to 2 minutes. Toss in the broccoli rabe and peperoncino, and strain the reserved mussel cooking liquid into the skillet. Cover, and cook until the broccoli rabe is tender, about 10 minutes. If there is too much liquid left in the skillet and it looks soupy, uncover and bring to a rapid boil to reduce and thicken the sauce.
• Pluck the mussels from their shells, and put the meat in a small bowl. (No need to save the shells.) When the pasta is ready, use a spider to transfer it directly into the skillet with the broccoli rabe. Return the mussels to the skillet, drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, and toss to coat the pasta with the sauce. Remove from heat, toss with the grated cheese, and serve.

DRUNKEN MUSSELS WITH CHORIZO AND WHITE BEANS

Steps:

• Heat oil and chorizo in a large pot over medium, stirring, until chorizo starts to crisp, about 4 minutes. Add shallot and garlic and cook, stirring, until tender, about 4 minutes. Add wine, tomatoes, and beans; bring to a simmer.
• Add mussels. Cover and continue to cook, shaking pot occasionally, until mussels open, 6 to 8 minutes (discard any unopened ones). Season broth to taste. Sprinkle with parsley, toss, and serve.

ORECCHIETTE WITH FRESH AND DRIED BEANS AND TOMATOES

Steps:

• To cook dried beans, transfer with their soaking water to a heavy pot. Add more water as necessary to cover the beans with 1 1/2 to 2 inches of water. Over medium-high heat, bring to a gentle boil and skim away foam. Add onion and garlic, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer 30 minutes. Add salt to taste (I use at least a rounded teaspoon), cover and continue to simmer very gently for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until the beans are tender all the way through and their texture is plush and velvety. Taste the bean broth and add more salt as necessary. Remove from heat. Let beans cool in the broth if not using right away.
• Place a strainer over a bowl and drain beans. Measure out 1 cup of the broth and combine with the tomato sauce or tomatoes in a wide pan or a pasta bowl.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt generously and add orecchiette. Boil 5 minutes and add green beans. Boil another 5 minutes, until pasta is cooked al dente. Drain and toss green beans and pasta with the cooked beans and tomato sauce or tomatoes. Add half the basil and toss again.
• Serve in wide bowls, garnishing each serving with fresh basil and Parmesan.