Tinned Mussels and Pasta with Red Chard & Sheep Cheese
When we opened the shop, tinned fish was having a moment. As a self-proclaimed non-seafood eater, I side-eyed every tinned fish I ordered for the shop. Give me grace, I grew up in Kansas where fish meant fresh catfish my Dad caught or tuna fish from a can that would be smothered in a hotdish.
Eventually, I tried the fish I ordered because I wasn’t comfortable telling people it was good, not knowing if it was actually good. So I opened a tin. Then another. Hooked (get it! Hooked!) Maybe it's the rich olive oil and herby herbs disguising the fishy flavor, but whatever it is, it all works beautifully together.
Maybe I am a seafood eater dressing up as a cheese monger. I don't know, but I know I'm still eating tinned fish three years after opening a cheese shop, and when we put together easy dinners like this one, and I'll still be a tinned fish eater many years from now.
Cheese probably isn't your go to ingredient when making seafood, but it absolutely belongs here (at least in this dish). We used Kafelegrafaria in this recipe because we had it in the cheese case and wanted to highlight its versatility. This sheep cheese can hold its own with the mussels and bacon, adding just the right amount of salt and fat to the dish, but really, any hard sheep’s milk cheese will do.
Give it a try when you need a quick dinner idea.
Tinned Mussels and Pasta with Red Chard & Sheep Cheese
Serves 4
Ingredients:
8 oz Pappardelle pasta
2 slice Bacon
3 Tbsp diced Onion
1Tbsp Olive Oil
3 cloves of Garlic
1 bunch Red Chard
1/2 cup Cherry Tomatoes
juice of one Lemon
1 tin Miss Can Marinated Mussels
1/4 cup (Just kidding, measure that cheese with your heart) grated sheep milk cheese such as manchego, pecorino, or kefalograviera
salt and pepper to taste
Steps
Build the base: In a large skillet, sauté 2 diced pieces of bacon, 3 diced tablespoons of onion, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat for 3–8 minutes. Add 0.5 cups of halved cherry tomatoes, 3 minced garlic cloves, and 1 pinch each of salt and pepper. Sauté for another 3–4 minutes, then add chopped red chard and cook until wilted.
Cook the pasta: Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook 8 ounces of pappardelle pasta until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, then drain.
Bring it together: Add 1 tin of Miss Can marinated mussels to the skillet, along with all the oil and the juice of 1 lemon. Add the drained pasta and about ½ cup of reserved pasta water. Simmer over medium heat until the sauce thickens slightly, adding more pasta water as needed to prevent sticking.
Serve: Divide into bowls and finish with freshly grated 1/4 cup sheep's milk cheese (manchego, pecorino, or kefalograviera), plus extra pepper.
Notes
The oil from the tinned mussels is doing a lot of flavor work here — don't drain it. For the cheese, kefalograviera offers the most depth, but pecorino is equally good. This also works beautifully with tinned smoked oysters if mussels aren't your thing.