Ingredients
- 350 g dried spaghetti
- 500 g fresh mussels cleaned and debearded
- 300 g raw prawns peels and deveined
- 1/2 medium onion finely diced
- 2-3 clove garlic finely diced
- 400 g canned tomatoes
- 100 g sun-dried tomatoes finely chopped
- 1 rasher bacon finely diced
- 1-2 tbsp olive oil
- 5-6 parsley stalks finely chopped
- 100 ml red wine
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the mussels. Rinse the mussels under cold running water, scrub the shells and remove their beards. Discard any with badly cracked shells. Tap any open mussels and discard them if they do not close.
- Start the pasta water. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to the boil. Keep it ready while you prepare the sauce, but don’t add the spaghetti yet.
- Cook the aromatics. Heat the olive oil in a wide, deep pan with a lid over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for 1 minute. Add the garlic and parsley stalks, then sauté for another 2–3 minutes or until softened.
- Build the base. Add the bacon and anchovies. Fry for 2–3 minutes, until the bacon begins to colour and the anchovies break down into the oil.
- Add the sun-dried tomatoes and prawns. Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes and fry for 30 seconds. Add the prawns and sear briefly on both sides until lightly browned and beginning to turn pink.
- Make the tomato sauce. Pour in the canned tomatoes and red wine. Scrape the bottom of the pan to release all the browned fond, then simmer uncovered for 3–5 minutes.
- Cook the spaghetti and mussels. Add the spaghetti to the boiling water and cook until just shy of al dente. At the same time, add the mussels to the tomato sauce, cover the pan and reduce the heat to low-medium.
- Check the mussels. Start checking them after 5 minutes. Transfer the mussels to a bowl as they open so they don’t overcook. Allow up to approximately 10 minutes in total, then discard any mussels that remain firmly closed.
- Toss the pasta. Add the spaghetti and a small splash of pasta water. Toss everything gently over the heat until every strand is coated and the prawns are opaque and just cooked through. Add more pasta water if the sauce needs loosening.
- Taste and serve. Taste before adding salt—the bacon, anchovies and mussel juices already bring plenty of saltiness. Finish with black pepper and chopped parsley leaves, then transfer everything to a large platter and serve immediately.
Video
Notes
Taste before salting: Bacon, anchovies and mussels are all naturally salty.
Pasta alternatives: Linguine or another long pasta can replace the spaghetti using the same weight.
For US readers: Use large raw shrimp in place of prawns.
Serving suggestion: Serve with garlic bread for soaking up the tomato sauce and place an empty bowl on the table for the mussel shells.
Nutrition
Calories: 623kcal | Carbohydrates: 92g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 116mg | Sodium: 809mg | Potassium: 1704mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 673IU | Vitamin C: 26mg | Calcium: 145mg | Iron: 8mg