Spaghetti ai moscioli
Portonovo spaghetti with wild Conero mussels
Along the Conero shore, a mosciolo is a wild Mediterranean mussel that fixes itself to the submerged rocks between Ancona and Sirolo, including the bay at Portonovo. The catch is seasonal, closely protected, and largely eaten close to the water where it was gathered.
Onion, olive oil, parsley, tomato paste, water, and the mussels' own strained liquor are cooked into a dense red sauce; the shelled flesh is chopped just enough to thicken it. The spaghetti finishes in this briny sauce, absorbing the mussels' sweetness.
Ingredients
For the mussel sauce
- 1.2 kg(about 2½ lb)live Mosciolo Selvatico di Portonovo (see note)
- 60 ml(¼ cup)extra-virgin olive oil
- 50 gyellow onion, very finely chopped
- 12 g(about 3 tbsp)flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped, plus tender stems
- 35 g(about 2 tbsp)tomato paste
- 500 ml(about 2 cups)water, divided
- freshly ground black pepper
For the pasta
- 350 gdried spaghetti
- fine sea salt, for the pasta water and only if needed in the sauce
Kitchen notes
- Mosciolo Selvatico di Portonovo
- Mosciolo is the local name for the wild Mediterranean mussel, Mytilus galloprovincialis, gathered from the rocky Conero coast, not a marketing synonym for every mussel. Its legal, seasonal distribution is concentrated near Ancona, Portonovo, Sirolo, and Numana, so it is exceptionally unlikely to be available in the United States. This recipe requires the genuine seasonal catch; farmed mussels have a different character and are not offered as a substitute.
- Mussel safety
- Buy live shellfish from a reputable fishmonger, keep them cold but not submerged, and cook them the day of purchase. Discard cracked shells and mussels that stay open after a tap or fail to open when cooked. Filtering their liquor matters: it is the sauce's most concentrated flavor and its most likely source of grit.
- Tomato paste
- Tomato paste and water reduce into a concentrated sauce flavored with the strained mussel liquor.
Method
Clean and open the mussels
- Discard mussels with cracked shells and any that remain open when tapped. Scrub the shells under cold running water and pull away the beards. Put the mussels in a wide pot with the parsley stems and 60 ml (¼ cup) water. Cover and cook over high heat just until they open, 3–5 minutes, shaking once or twice; remove them as they open and discard any that remain closed. Strain the cooking liquid through a very fine sieve lined with damp paper towel or cheesecloth, leaving the sandy last spoonful behind. Shell the mussels, reserving a few half-shells only if you want them as a garnish; chop about one third of the meat coarsely.
Build the Portonovo sauce
- Warm the olive oil in a wide skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and pale, about 8 minutes. Stir in the parsley leaves and tomato paste; cook for 1 minute until the paste darkens slightly. Add the strained mussel liquid and the remaining 440 ml water. Simmer at a moderate bubble until reduced and lightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Add the chopped mussels and cook 2 minutes more, so they enrich the sauce without becoming tough. Taste before adding salt; it will often need none.
Finish the spaghetti in the sauce
- Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in generously salted boiling water until 2 minutes short of the package time. Reserve 120 ml (½ cup) pasta water, then transfer the spaghetti to the skillet. Toss over medium heat with the remaining unchopped mussel meat and enough pasta water to coat the strands in a glossy, concentrated sauce, 1–2 minutes. Add pepper and more parsley if wanted. Divide among warm bowls, arranging the reserved half-shells on top, and serve immediately.