Apulian recipe
Launch with stuffed mussels
"Le Lanc con le cozze ripiene" (in the Bari dialect), or fresh tagliatelle with stuffed mussels, is a typical Apulian first course, a delicious dish that delights not only the palates of residents of the heel of the Italian peninsula, but also the many tourists who want to try traditional dishes. From the tagliatelle dough to the sauce, everything is made with simple, authentic ingredients; tagliatelle represent an ancient tradition: making the pasta at home, hand-rolled with a rolling pin and worked on the Tavoliere, the traditional work surface used for fresh pasta.
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For the tagliatelle:
- 1 kg of semolina
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 tablespoon salt
- Water to taste
For the stuffed mussels:
- 1 kg of mussels
- 5 eggs
- Breadcrumbs or sliced bread to taste
- A pinch of salt
- Parsley
- Pecorino cheese to taste
How to prepare it
To make homemade tagliatelle, combine the semolina, eggs, and salt. Knead the dough, adding water until it becomes a soft dough. Form the dough into discs, let them dry, and then cut them into strips. To make stuffed mussels, first clean and scrape the mussels; once they're halved, drain them. Separately, prepare the filling: combine the eggs, cheese, breadcrumbs or white bread, parsley, and a pinch of salt, then stuff the mussels. Pour oil and garlic into a saucepan and sauté. Add fresh tomato sauce or peeled tomatoes and mix with the parsley. When the parsley is ready, add the mussels and finish cooking.
Enjoy your meal!
The places of the recipe
This dish is linked to the capital of Puglia, Bari. A city rich in tradition and history, it's also rich in gastronomy. In fact, even today, you can stroll through the streets of the "old" city, where, if you're lucky, you can witness the pasta making process firsthand and immerse yourself in the smells and flavors of yesteryear.