They resemble extra-large mussels and are very rare, but if you're lucky enough to find them, they make a perfect ingredient for creating seafood pasta dishes. Chef Lorenzo Cogo shares an elegant recipe featuring mussels, used as a topping for his black lemon and verbena fusilloni.

Verbena Fusilloni, mussoli e black lemon

Ingredients for 4 people

For the verbena extract

Fresh verbena leaves, as needed

Method

Pass the fresh verbena leaves through a juicer and immediately vacuum-seal to prevent oxidation (alternatively, they can be stored in the fridge).

For the chilli oil

20 g fresh chilli
100 g grapeseed oil

Method

Chop the fresh chili, including the seeds, and blend it with the grapeseed oil; strain and store in the fridge.

For the whipped butter

500 g butter
500 g water
5 g salt
35 g cornstarch
25 g Grana Padano cheese

Method

In a container, weigh Grana Padano, salt, and cornstarch; bring the butter and water to a boil and pour it over the ingredients, blending with a mixer.

For the smoked oil

Grapeseeds oil, as needed

Method

In a container, pour grapeseed oil and smoke it 2-3 times so that the smoky aroma will be more persistent.

For the mussoli

Smoked oil
16 mussels

Method

In a pot, pour a bit of water and bring it to a boil; tightly wrap the mussoli in a cloth, place them in the pot, cover, and cook over low heat for about 6 minutes.

Once cooked, clean them, being careful to remove the "beard," rinse them, and slice them into carpaccio.

Smoke them and then season them with the smoked oil.

Plating

32 fusilloni (the chef recommends "Di Martino" pasta)
80 g verbena extract
160 g mussel water
4 g chili oil
20 g whipped butter
8 g salted lemon
Black lemon powder

Method

Cook the fusilloni for 6 minutes in plenty of salted boiling water, then finish the cooking by sautéing in a pan with mussoli water, verbena extract, and chili oil.

Finish with a pinch of whipped butter and salted lemon. Place it on the plate, sprinkle it with black lemon powder, and finish with mussoli carpaccio.