Potato Rice Mussel Oven Bake, a Puglian Recipe

by | Apr 15, 2023 | Uncategorized

Potato Rice Mussel Oven Bake, a Puglian Recipe

Every summer, for 37 years, I spend at least a week during my vacation in Puglia visiting family. The older I get, the more I appreciate the food, ingredients, and recipes I encounter. I always try to try new things on each visit to expand my knowledge of Puglia cuisine and tick dishes off my list. I love to eat this porto finoli, mussels with rice and baked potatoes in a restaurant a few years ago. What a hearty yet soothing dish that celebrates food from the sea.Since this dish comes from Bari, my family would never cook it at home as they are from Salento and like Italians they will stick to their local dishes.

Such a great seafood dish and perfect for pescatarians. It really draws on the Puglian Adriatic coast home cooking and only has a handful of main ingredients. I read about 5 different versions of this recipe, all with their different tweaks. Here is my tried and tested version.

  • First we cook the mussels. Place mussels in a saute pan; cook on a medium heat , cover and cook for 3 mins until they open. Ensure to give the pan a shake half way through. Retain the mussel water and place to one side.
  • Remove the top shell of the mussel, so that the valve sits in the bottom shell.
  • Now in an oven proof dish/pan, heat a drizzle of olive and brown the crushed whole garlic clove for a couple of minutes on a low/medium heat.
  • Then add the onion, soften for a couple of minutes and add the chopped tomatoes.
  • Then sprinkle half the parsley, half parmesan and pecorino.
  • Add a layer of sliced potato on top
  • Add a layer of sliced courgette.
  • Place the mussels in the shell on top
  • Sprinkle the rice evenly over the mussels. Pour the mussel water and stock carefully, ensure it covers the rice.
  • Place another layer of potato and sprinkle with the remaining parsley, parmesan and pecorino.
  • Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper
  • Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180C for 40 minutes. Ensure the dish is covered for the first 20 mins and uncovered for the rest. This will give the bake a lovely crispy top.
  • Leave to rest for 20 minutes before serving your potato rice mussel oven bake

A creamy asparagus sausage pasta

Spring is in the air, that’s for sure! Days are longer and brighter. There was a mood of optimism in the air that was too late after several months of such a difficult closure in the UK. Cooking has always been my therapy and the only thing I can do for myself to always improve my mood. So, with a new season, I find myself wanting to eat more springtime dishes, use the best ingredients at this time of year, and step up my cooking skills.

And at the top of the list are my dear asparagus. I LOVE how you can transform this delicately flavored vegetable just by cooking it in so many different ways. Whether you bake, boil, sauté or steam, they make great additions to dishes this season. However, adding them to pasta dishes is an entirely different matter. Creamy pasta and asparagus are here for you to enjoy at home.A great combination of flavors, you won’t be disappointed. Plus, learn how to make a creamy
sauce without a pot of milk.

To help you along the way, here is my cooking tip video on how to prep asparagus. Plus a recipe video so you can watch how I create this creamy asparagus sausage pasta recipe in my own kitchen with all my tips and hacks. Don’t forget to follow me on both Instagram and youtube, to not miss my latest cooking videos.

Enjoy my bambinos.

  • Prepare the asparagus, by bending the end of it until it naturally snaps at the woody end. (Watch cooking tip here). Discard. Then chop your asparagus into 4-5 pieces.
  • In a frying pan, gently fry the onion in 2 tbsp of olive oil, on a low heat until softened.
  • Next, add in the crumbled sausage meat and continue cooking on a low heat until it has slightly browned.
  • Pour in the white wine and cook the sausage on a low heat for 15-25 minutes.
  • In a bowl, mix the ricotta, parmesan and lemon zest together. Season with salt and pepper.
  • In the meantime, bring a pan of water to the boil, season generously with salt and cook the pasta as instructed on the packet. In the last two minutes, collect a mug of pasta water. Set aside. Then, add the asparagus to the pasta pan and cook for the last two minutes.
  • Drain the pasta and asparagus and, add straight into the sausage ragu. Then stir in the ricotta mix with at least a couple of tablespoons of pasta water. Stir until the pasta is well coated. Serve immediately.

Tips for a Making a Smoky Asparagus Pasta

  • Prepare the asparagus, by bending the end of it until it naturally snaps at the woody end. (Watch cooking tip here).
  • When frying onions, always cook on low heat and a good pinch of salt. The salt will help draw out the bitter onion water, which will help prevent the onion from burning and create a sweeter base.
  • I always fry and brown my sausage on low heat to ensure that it retains as much natural moisture.
  • Otherwise, it can dry out the meat.
  • Same as above, in Tip 3. It’s best to cook the wine and sausage together for longer and on low heat so that it retains the required moisture to create this sauce.
  • Make sure to mix all the ingredients well together and taste after seasoned to make sure you’re happy with the flavour. Adjust seasoning if necessary.
  • Always cook your pasta as long as instructed on the packet to achieve an al dente texture. All pasta cooks at a different rate, so it’s best not to guess it, but time it.
  • The pasta water will help loosen up the ricotta mixture to coat the pasta in this creamy sauce.