Spaghetti with Eggplant, Pecorino, and Mussels

Name: Spaghetti with Eggplant, Pecorino, and Mussels
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 70 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: Spaghetti 11.3 oz; Mussels 1.1 lbs; Black eggplants 1; Eggplant zebrina 1; Eggplant Japanese 1; Shallot 3.5 oz; Garlic 2 cloves; Pecorino cheese (to grate) 2.8 oz; Dry white wine 2 oz; Parsley the stems to taste; Marjoram to taste; Extra virgin olive oil to taste; Fine salt to taste; Black pepper to taste; Peanut seed oil to taste

Difficulty: Average
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 40 min
Serving: 4 persone
Cost: Low
Note + the time for purging the eggplant (at least 1 h)

PRESENTATION

Recipe by
Alberto Marcolongo

Spaghetti with Eggplant, Pecorino, and Mussels

It is said that cheese should never be paired with fish, but that is not always true... in fact, in some cases it pairs perfectly, such as in spaghetti with eggplant, pecorino, and mussels! Mussels and pecorino is a combination often found especially in Apulian cuisine: in this recipe, however, a delicious eggplant cream flavored with the mussels' cooking liquid is also added, which envelops the spaghetti with its smooth and velvety texture. A tasty main course of land and sea created by Chef Alberto Marcolongo from the renowned Benoit restaurant in New York, part of the Alain Ducasse group, which combines simple and genuine ingredients in a delicious and innovative way, with an added touch of originality! Try the spaghetti with eggplant, pecorino, and mussels and be amazed forkful after forkful.

Discover these variations too:

Paccheri with Eggplant, Mussels, and Buffalo Mozzarella
Pasta with Zucchini, Mussels, and Pecorino
Whole Wheat Spaghetti Land and Sea in Foil
Pasta with Arugula Pesto and Mussels

INGREDIENTS

Spaghetti 11.3 oz (320 g)

Mussels 1.1 lbs (500 g)

Black eggplants 1

Eggplant 1 - zebrina

Eggplant 1 - Japanese

Shallot 3.5 oz (100 g)

Garlic 2 cloves

Pecorino cheese 2.8 oz (80 g) - (to grate)

Dry white wine 2 oz (60 g)

Parsley to taste - the stems

Marjoram to taste

Extra virgin olive oil to taste

Fine salt to taste

Black pepper to taste

For frying: Peanut seed oil to taste

Preparation

How to prepare Spaghetti with Eggplant, Pecorino, and Mussels

To prepare the spaghetti with eggplant, pecorino, and mussels, start with the Japanese eggplant: trim it 1 and cut into thin slices 2. Transfer the eggplant slices to a colander, salt 3 and let them drain for at least an hour.

Now take the purple eggplant and the zebra eggplant, cut them in half 4 and score the flesh in a grid pattern 5. Place them in a baking dish with the cut side facing up and season with salt and pepper 6.

Add a sliced garlic clove 7, drizzle with oil 8 and bake in a preheated static oven at 375°F for about 25 minutes 9.

In the meantime, clean the mussels by removing the beard and impurities 10. Clean and slice the shallot 11 and the other garlic clove 12.

Place the shallot and garlic in a pan with a drizzle of oil 13, add the parsley stems 14 and let them flavor, then add the mussels 15.

Cover with the lid for 30 seconds 16, then deglaze with white wine 17 and wait for them to open 18.

Remove the mussels and shell them 19. Discard the parsley stems 20 and set aside the cooking liquid. By now, the eggplants should be cooked, so remove from the oven and discard the garlic 21.

Transfer the eggplants to a jug 22, then add the mussel cooking liquid 23 along with the garlic and shallot 24.

Blend with an immersion blender while pouring the oil in a thin stream 25 until you get a smooth and homogeneous cream. Put the cream back in the pan 26 and in the meantime, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. After the Japanese eggplant has drained, quickly rinse and fry in seed oil at 285°F 27.

When they are golden brown, drain 28 and transfer to paper towels, then salt 29. Cook the spaghetti for a few minutes less than the time indicated on the package 30.

Drain the pasta and finish cooking it in the pan with the eggplant cream 31. Off the heat, add the mussels 32 and grated pecorino 33. Mix well to combine everything and plate.

Finish the dish with the fried eggplant 34 and a few marjoram leaves 35. Your spaghetti with eggplant, pecorino, and mussels is ready to be served 36!