Coloured rice, quinoa, barley, spelt, buckwheat, freekeh: nutritious grains are so in vogue right now that it’s easy to overlook pasta when dreaming up interesting supper dishes. Yes, it contains gluten, that bugbear of so many modern diets, but I adore its silky, slightly chewy texture. It’s surprisingly simple to make from scratch, too, though if you do go down the homemade route, start with an easy, rugged type such as today’s maltagliati, where the beauty is in the misshapen. As for what to put on it, there you can go to town without spending too much. I’ve gone for a smoky, creamy sauce to complement sweet mussels and a gutsy, garlicky number with purple sprouting broccoli. Mamma mia!
Linguine with mussels in chipotle cream
Mussels are a terrific food: healthy, fast to cook, affordable and gentle on the environment. Serves four.
700g mussels, scrubbed clean and beards removed
3 tbsp rapeseed oil
3 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
2 small cloves garlic, peeled and crushed or finely chopped
250ml double cream
2 tbsp chipotle en adobo (or 2 tbsp sundried tomato paste plus 2 tsp hot smoked paprika)
400g dried linguine
½ cup dry white wine
1 handful curly parsley, picked and finely chopped
Tap any open mussels sharply on the counter: if any remain open, bin them – they’re dead. Put a saucepan on a medium flame and, when hot, add two-thirds of the oil and the shallots, and sweat on low heat for five minutes. Add the garlic, season and cook until the shallots are soft and translucent. Add the cream and chillies, and leave to simmer gently while you get on with the pasta.
Bring a large pan of well salted water to a boil, then cook the linguine until al dente, about five minutes.
While the pasta is cooking, heat the remaining oil in a large pot and, when smoking hot, add the mussels, clap on the lid and shake the pan. Add the wine, cover again and leave to steam on a high heat, shaking the pan from time to time. After two or three minutes, check the mussels: if they are not all open, cover and cook for a minute or two more. Once they are all open, scoop out the mussels with a slotted spoon and add to the sauce.
Sieve the mussel juices to remove any grit, and add to the sauce. Drain the pasta, saving a small cup of the cooking water, then toss it with the mussels and sauce, to coat. Leave for a minute, then toss in two to three tablespoons of the reserved cooking water, to loosen. Sprinkle with parsley and serve at once.
Fresh maltagliati with purple sprouting broccoli walnut pesto
Homemade pasta is incredibly satisfying – you don’t even need a pasta machine: elbow grease and a rolling pin will suffice. For a cheat, buy fresh lasagne sheets, snip them into rough pieces and cook as per the packet instructions. Serves four.
300g ‘00’ flour, plus extra for dusting
6 egg yolks
110ml extra-virgin olive oil
300g purple sprouting broccoli
6 anchovies in oil
2 tbsp chopped parsley
1 lemon, juiced and zested
30g parmesan, finely grated
40g walnut halves, toasted
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 pinch chilli flakes (or to taste)
Put the flour in a mound on a clean worktop. Make a well in the centre, add the egg yolks and a tablespoon of oil, then lightly beat the eggs with a fork, slowly incorporating them into the flour. Once the eggs are no longer runny, use your hands to work them into the flour, then knead the dough into a ball. Clean the worktop and knead the dough for 10-15 minutes, until it’s silky and springy. Wrap in clingfilm and leave to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Now make the pesto. Separate the broccoli florets and stalks, then cut the stalks once lengthways and once across. Bring a large pan of water to a boil, and blanch all the broccoli for four minutes. Scoop out with a slotted spoon and refresh under cold water; reserve the cooking water.
Put the stalks in a blender with the anchovies, all but a tablespoon of the oil, the parsley, half the lemon juice and zest, parmesan and walnuts, blitz smooth and season.
Once the dough has rested, lightly dust a work surface with flour; do the same to your pasta machine or rolling pin. Divide the dough in four and wrap three pieces in clingfilm. Roll out the remaining piece of dough with a rolling pin, folding it over itself a couple of times, until you have a very thin sheet (you should be able to read the words in a book through it); alternatively, feed it through the pasta machine, starting at the widest setting and working your way down to the thinnest, folding over the dough as you pass it through each setting.
Cut the pasta sheet into rough shards (don’t worry about making them the same) then dust with flour, lay on a floured tray and cover loosely with clingfilm. Repeat with the remaining three pieces of dough.
Heat a large frying pan, add the remaining oil, broccoli florets and garlic, and turn the heat to low. Season with a pinch or two of chilli, the rest of the lemon juice and some sea salt, and fry gently for seven minutes, until lightly coloured.
Bring the broccoli water back to a boil, salt generously, then cook the pasta for a minute or two, until al dente. Add a small ladleful of pasta water to the pesto, then drain the pasta and toss it with the pesto, to coat. Serve on warmed plates with a drizzle of oil, some parmesan, the rest of the lemon zest and the florets.
