Fusilli with mussels and cuttlefish

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Fusilli with mussels and cuttlefish
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it br fr es de
490
Calories per serving
  • Lactose Free
  • Energy Kcal 490
  • Carbohydrates g 72.1
  •   of which sugars g 5.4
  • Protein g 26.6
  • Fats g 9.7
  •   of which saturated fat g 1.65
  • Fiber g 3.4
  • Cholesterol mg 132
  • Sodium mg 591
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Prep time: 45 min
  • Cook time: 40 min
  • Serving: 4
  • Cost: Average

PRESENTATION

Fusilli with mussels and cuttlefish? Oh, it's a seafood pasta recipe that brings the Italian coast straight to your table. And look, the tender cuttlefish combined with those juicy, moist mussels gives you this ocean-inspired flavor in every bite. It’s super, super tasty. In Southern Italy, especially seaside towns where seafood is just fresh, this dish is a real favorite.

The classic Italian seafood pasta style really shines here. Fusilli pasta is perfect—it captures the rich, tangy sauce and holds onto all those yummy seafood bits. Plus, there's fresh parsley for a bright aroma, and a pinch of chili that gives it a gentle kick—like an old-school trattoria by the water. Seriously good. Imagine sharing this pasta with friends on a balcony, just soaking in the good stuff from the sea.

And here's the thing: regional traditions keep dishes like pasta with cuttlefish exciting on their own, but fusilli with mussels and cuttlefish stands out due to its unique blend of seafood flavors. It's light, yet so so satisfying. Hard to beat, for sure. No need for overcomplication here—the magic is in combining good pasta with quality seafood.

If you're looking for an Italian seafood pasta that feels special yet simple enough for a weeknight, this one checks all the boxes. The crispy seared cuttlefish, soft mussels, and sauce-soaked fusilli make every forkful delightful. Perfect for impressing guests while keeping things pretty simple, just like on the southern shores of Italy.

This seafood pasta recipe turns any meal into a mini getaway, packed with golden summer flavors and the comfort of Italian cooking. Whether you're dining with family or hosting a casual dinner party, this dish promises a memorable experience that reflects the rich culinary traditions of Italy's coastal regions. Really, it does.

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INGREDIENTS
490
Calories per serving
Fusilli pasta 11.3 oz (320 g)
Octopi 0.6 lb (250 g)
Mussels 2.2 lbs (1 kg)
Garlic 1 clove
Parsley 0.7 oz (20 g)
Fresh chili pepper 1
Cherry tomatoes 2.3 cups (350 g)
White wine 1.7 oz (50 ml)
Extra virgin olive oil 1 ½ tbsp (25 g)
Fine salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
Preparation

How to prepare Fusilli with mussels and cuttlefish

To prepare fusilli with mussels and cuttlefish, start with the cleaning of the cuttlefish. Cut open the belly of the cuttlefish and remove the bone 1. After opening it in half, gently remove the ink sack if present 2. Separate the head from the body by gently pulling the two parts in opposite directions. After cutting the body, remove the skin 3.

Then take the head of the cuttlefish and remove the beak (tooth) 4: you can apply slight pressure with your fingers under the beak to locate it and push it upwards. Incise around the bulb the eyes of the cuttlefish and remove them 5. Rinse the cuttlefish under running water. Now cut the body of the cuttlefish into strips lengthwise 6 and chop the tentacles into small pieces. Set aside.

Continue with the How to Clean and Open Mussels. Rinse the mussels under running water 7. Using the blade of a knife (or a steel wool pad), remove encrustations and impurities from the shell 8 and then remove the byssus 9. Rinse them again with fresh water. Set aside.

Then take the chili pepper, open it lengthwise and remove the seeds, then cut it into thin strips 7. Add it with a clove of garlic chopped into pieces into a pan with a drizzle of oil 8. Sauté until the garlic turns golden brown. Finely chop the parsley 9. Keep a little aside to flavor and garnish the dish.

Add the remaining parsley to the pan 10 along with the mussels 11. Cook for a few minutes with the lid on over high heat 12.

When the mussels open, turn off the heat and drain using a fine mesh strainer placed over a bowl to filter the water released during cooking 13. Set aside the liquid and shell the mussels 14, leaving a few whole for garnishing the dish. Now take a large non-stick pan and sauté a clove of garlic 15. If you prefer, you can crush it.

Add the washed and halved cherry tomatoes 16. Let them cook in the pan for 10 minutes over moderate heat. Then remove the garlic 17 and add the cuttlefish 18. Cook for another 5 minutes.

Then deglaze with white wine 19 and add the mussels 20. Sauté for another 1-2 minutes, then turn off the heat. Pour some of the mussels' cooking liquid into a large pot 21 and heat it if necessary until it boils.

Then add the fusilli 22: they should be barely covered by the mussels' cooking water, which you can add gradually 23: if the mussels' cooking liquid is not enough, use boiling water or light Vegetable broth. Stir continuously to prevent the pasta from sticking. Two minutes before the end of cooking, transfer the fusilli to the pan with the mussels and cuttlefish sauce 24.

Sauté for 1 minute, stirring with a spatula to mix the ingredients well 25. Season with salt and pepper and add the chopped parsley 26. Finally, plate your fusilli with mussels and cuttlefish, garnishing the dish with a few whole mussels and serve hot 27!

Storage

It is recommended to consume fusilli with mussels and cuttlefish as soon as they are cooked.

However, if you have leftovers, you can store them in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 1 day.

Freezing is not recommended.

Tip

Want to add a touch of extra freshness to the dish? Julienne the untreated peel of a lemon, removing the bitter white part, and add it at the end to flavor and decorate your pasta!

For the translation of some texts, artificial intelligence tools may have been used.
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