Squid ink spaghetti with mussels and tomato confit

This striking dish makes a great centrepiece thanks to jet black squid ink pasta and shiny, clattering mussels. We use rich, sweet confit cherry tomatoes in the sauce, which add pops of summery sweet flavour and bright colour.

Ingredients

• 1 kg mussels
• 400 g of squid ink pasta
• 1 dash of Carapelli Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 shallot, very finely diced
• 3 garlic cloves, grated to a paste
• white wine, 1 large glass
• 1 tbsp of pul biber chilli flakes
• 250 g confit cherry tomatoes
• 1 handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped
• lemon wedges, to serve

Steps

1. Scrub the mussels and remove any beards, giving each mussel a sharp tap on a work surface. Discard any that don’t close
2. Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water until al dente
3. In a large, high sided frying pan, cook the shallot in olive oil until soft but not coloured. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute or so, stirring
4. Add the white wine and allow to bubble down and reduce by three quarters
5. Add a ladleful of the pasta cooking water, the pul biber and the mussels. Put a lid on and cook for a couple of minutes or until all the mussels have opened. Discard any that haven’t opened
6. Add the spaghetti to the pan using tongs, along with the confit tomatoes and give everything a good mix
7. Add more pasta water as needed to create a silky sauce that coats the pasta, tossing the pan to make sure everything is well emulsified
8. Scatter with parsley and serve with lemon wedges