Elizabeth Hewson’s mussels with fregola, cherry tomatoes and fennel

Mussels and small pasta shapes cooked in a zesty, sticky sauce of cherry tomatoes, fennel, preserved lemon and harissa... yum.

Zesty: mussels with fregola, tomatoes and fennel. Picture: Nikki To

Mussel shells are the perfect vessel to catch fregola or other small pasta shapes. Here I’ve cooked them in a zesty, sticky sauce of cherry tomatoes, fennel, preserved lemon and harissa, tossing through the cooked pasta at the end. Pipis or clams work well as a substitute for the mussels. The second dish is perfect for when the weather is warm, the basil is heady and the tomatoes are ripe.

Mussels with fregola, cherry tomatoes & fennel

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

250g cherry tomatoes

1 small bulb fennel, chopped, fronds reserved

1 teaspoon harissa

2 preserved lemon quarters, skin only, finely sliced

125ml (½ cup) dry white wine

Two serves of small dried pasta; try fregola, ditalini or risoni

1kg fresh mussels, scrubbed and debearded

Zest of 1 lemon

Crusty bread, to serve

Place a large, deep frying pan with a lid over medium heat. Add the olive oil and garlic and sauté for 30 seconds, then add the tomatoes, fennel, harissa and preserved lemon. Give everything a stir and cook for 5 minutes. Add the wine and let it bubble away for about a minute. Reduce the heat to medium-low, then cover and leave to cook, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes. Bring a large saucepan of water to a lively boil and season as salty as the sea. Add the pasta and cook until al dente.

Tap any mussels that are open; discard any that do not close. Increase the heat under the sauce to medium, arrange the mussels over the top of the sauce and cover. Cook for 5-10 minutes, until the mussels open. Some might take slightly longer; if this is the case, remove the mussels as they open so they don’t overcook. Discard any unopened mussels.

Drain the pasta and add it to the pan, along with any open mussels you took out. Give everything a big stir and remove from the heat, then scatter over the lemon zest and reserved fennel fronds. Serve straight from the pan, with bread on the side to mop up the juice. Serves 2 generously

Fresh: pasta with tomato, goat’s curd and basil. Picture: Nikki To

Pasta with fresh tomato, goat's cheese & basil

1 garlic clove

150g cherry tomatoes or the best ripe tomatoes you can find, chopped

¼ bunch of basil, leaves picked, plus extra leaves to serve

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon goat’s cheese

Grated Parmigiano Reggiano, to serve

Chilli flakes (optional)

One serve of pasta: try busiate, fusilli, fettuccine, linguine or strozzapreti

Cut the garlic clove in half and rub it around a large serving bowl, to impart the scent of garlic. Add the tomato to the bowl, along with the garlic, basil and olive oil. Generously season with salt and pepper. Let it sit at room temperature for 30-60 minutes to allow the flavours to meld. Bring a large saucepan of water to a lively boil and season as salty as the sea. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Remove the garlic from the tomato mixture and discard; add blobs of goat’s cheese to the tomato mixture in anticipation of the hot pasta that will fall on top.

Using tongs, pluck the pasta out of the water and drop directly onto the tomato mixture. Give everything a big toss, adding a scoop of cooking water if needed to loosen things up. Top with extra basil, a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, a sprinkle of Parmigiano Reggiano and chilli flakes, if you like. Serves 1

From Saturday Night Pasta by Elizabeth Hewson (Plum, $36.99). Photography: Nikki To