Pasta with aubergines and mussels
Pasta with eggplant and mussels is a simple and tasty seafood dish, made with fresh mussels deglazed with white wine and tossed in an eggplant and cherry tomato sauce.
ingredients
Pasta with eggplant and mussels is a simple and tasty seafood dish, made with fresh mussels deglazed with white wine and tossed in an eggplant and cherry tomato sauce. Drained al dente pasta and the strained mussel juice are then added. Fresh parsley and diced buffalo mozzarella add a fresh and colorful touch.
The result is a fragrant and well-balanced dish, perfect for a Sunday family lunch or a summer dinner with friends. For a flawless result, the only thing you need to do is choose the freshest mussels, with closed shells and a lovely salty aroma, clean them thoroughly, and avoid overcooking them: this way, they'll stay soft and juicy.
We chose black oval eggplants, but, of course, elongated or purple eggplants will also work; for an even more delicate flavor, opt for white ones. As for the pasta, you can replace the paccheri with rigatoni, fusilli, or other short shapes of your choice.
Learn how to make eggplant and mussel pasta with step-by-step instructions and tips. If you liked this recipe, also try eggplant and tuna pasta, swordfish and eggplant pasta, and potato and mussel pasta.
How to prepare eggplant and mussel pasta
To prepare the eggplant and mussel pasta, first wash the eggplant, cut it into slices and then into cubes. Place the cubes in a bowl, add coarse salt, cover with a plate, and place a weight on top. Let the eggplant rest for about 1 minute, so that it loses some of its water content.
Meanwhile, wash the mussels and discard any that have already opened. Then, scrape the shells thoroughly with a knife to remove any encrustations. Finally, remove the outer filament and rinse the mussels again.
Heat a drizzle of oil with two cloves of garlic in a large pan, add the mussels and deglaze with the white wine 3, then cover with the lid and cook over high heat for about 5 minutes, until the mussels have opened.
Season with chopped parsley 4 and mix. Keep a few mussels in their shells for decoration and shell the rest.
Filter the liquid released by the mussels 5 very well and set it aside.
Once the aubergines have rested, rinse them quickly to remove excess salt and dry them thoroughly. In a large pan, sauté the chopped spring onion with a drizzle of oil, then add the aubergines and chopped cherry tomatoes.
Season with salt and cook over high heat for about 10 minutes, until the aubergines and tomatoes are soft. 7. Meanwhile, bring plenty of salted water to the boil and add the pasta.
Turn off the heat under the pan with the aubergines and add the shelled mussels 8.
Drain the pasta al dente and transfer it directly to the pan with the sauce, then pour in the filtered liquid from the mussels 9 and sauté everything over high heat for a couple of minutes at most: this way, the pasta will finish cooking in the pan, absorbing the flavor of the sauce.
Divide among individual plates, garnish with the unshelled mussels, a handful of chopped parsley, and a few diced buffalo mozzarella. The eggplant and mussel pasta is ready to enjoy.
