Cavatelli con Cozze e Fagioli

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large pot with tight-fitting lid for steaming mussels
• •Large pot for pasta
• •Slotted spoon
• •Stiff brush for scrubbing shells

Instructions

1. 1

   Cook the beans

   If using dried beans, drain them from their soaking water and place in a pot with fresh water to cover by three inches. Bring to a simmer and cook until tender but not falling apart, 45 minutes to one hour. The beans should hold their shape when lifted but yield completely when bitten. Drain, reserving half a cup of the cooking liquid. If using canned beans, drain and rinse them thoroughly. Set aside.

   Quality canned beans are acceptable when time is short. Drain them well and rinse away the starchy liquid. They will never have the same texture as beans you cook yourself, but the dish will still be good.
2. 2

   Prepare the mussels

   Examine each mussel. Discard any with cracked shells or any that remain open when tapped sharply on the counter. These are dead and will make you ill. Pull away the beards, the fibrous threads protruding from the shells. Scrub the shells under cold running water. Place the cleaned mussels in a bowl and refrigerate until needed.

3. 3

   Build the base

   In a pot large enough to hold all the mussels, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the sliced garlic and cook gently until it turns pale gold and fragrant, about two minutes. Watch it carefully. The moment before it would brown, add the red pepper flakes and stir once. Add the halved cherry tomatoes and a generous pinch of salt. Cook until the tomatoes begin to collapse and release their juices, about five minutes.

   The garlic must not brown. Brown garlic is bitter garlic, and bitter garlic ruins everything it touches. Pale gold, fragrant, yielding. That is what you want.
4. 4

   Steam the mussels

   Add the wine to the pot and let it bubble for thirty seconds. Add the mussels all at once. Cover the pot immediately and increase the heat to high. Steam until the mussels open, shaking the pot occasionally, three to five minutes. The moment the shells gape open, they are done. Remove the pot from heat.

5. 5

   Finish the sauce

   Using a slotted spoon, transfer the mussels to a bowl. Discard any that failed to open. Remove approximately half the mussels from their shells and return the meat to the pot. Leave the remaining mussels in their shells for presentation. Add the cooked beans to the pot and stir gently. Taste the liquid and adjust salt. The mussels will have contributed brine, so proceed cautiously.

6. 6

   Cook the pasta

   Bring a large pot of water to a vigorous boil. Salt it generously. It should taste like the sea. Add the cavatelli and cook according to the package directions until al dente, typically nine to eleven minutes for dried cavatelli. Reserve one cup of the pasta cooking water before draining.

7. 7

   Marry the pasta and sauce

   Return the pot with the mussel sauce to medium heat. Add the drained cavatelli and toss to coat. Add the reserved shell-on mussels. If the pasta seems dry, add splashes of pasta water until it moves freely and the sauce clings to each piece. The beans may break slightly. This is correct. They thicken the sauce. Stir in most of the parsley, reserving some for garnish. Remove from heat and drizzle generously with your best olive oil.

8. 8

   Serve immediately

   Divide among warmed shallow bowls, distributing the shell-on mussels evenly. Scatter the remaining parsley over each portion. Finish with another thread of olive oil and a few grinds of black pepper. Serve at once. Once the pasta is sauced, invite your guests and family to put off talking and start eating.

Chef Tips

• •Buy mussels the day you cook them. They are alive, and they should smell like clean ocean water, nothing else. Any mussel that smells of ammonia or decay goes in the garbage, not the pot.
• •Pugliese olive oil is grassy and peppery, and it belongs here. If you cannot find it, use any high-quality extra virgin oil with character. Save the mild oils for other purposes.
• •The shells are not decoration. They are tools. Show your guests how to use an empty shell as a pincer to pluck the meat from another. This is how it is done in Bari.
• •If fresh mussels are unavailable, this dish can be made with clams. Vongole would be acceptable. Do not use frozen shellfish. Some compromises are not worth making.

Advance Preparation

• •The beans can be cooked up to two days ahead and refrigerated in their liquid. Drain before using.
• •The mussels can be cleaned and debearded several hours ahead, covered with a damp towel in the refrigerator. Do not store them in water.
• •This dish does not hold. It must be served the moment it comes together. The mussels toughen, the pasta absorbs the liquid, the magic fades. Plan accordingly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 450g)