Recipe · Main courses · Toscana · Montignoso
Muscoli ripieni
stuffed mussels, muscoli as they are called on the Apuan coast and in the Versilia, opened raw, filled with mortadella, bread, eggs and parmesan, tied with string and cooked slowly in tomato sauce, from the recipe of a housewife from Camaiore collected by Visit Tuscany
preparation
How it is made
Quantities are for 4 people. The steps are in the order you do them.
- clean the mussels well and pull out the thread between the two shells, the one they call bisso or dente in the Versilia; keep the smallest aside for the filling
- with a suitable knife open the raw mussels from the flat side of the shell, without damaging the shells and without separating them completely, and leave them to drain
- boil the small mussels, shell them and chop them with the mortadella, the breadcrumb, a clove of garlic and the parsley
- work the mixture with the two eggs, the parmesan and a grating of nutmeg; if you like, add a pinch of chilli and a little thyme, then season with salt and pepper
- fill the mussels and close them with a turn of string
- arrange them in a wide pan, in a spiral from the centre towards the edges, and carry on in layers until they are all in
- in a frying pan make the sauce with the peeled tomatoes or the passata, the other clove of garlic and a sprig of parsley, finely chopped, the glass of white wine and half a glass of oil, with the chilli if you want it
- pour the sauce over the mussels and cook on a low heat, covered, for about 45 minutes, until the sauce thickens
- do not stir with a spoon: every now and then gently shake the pan to move them
- remove the string before serving
