Ingredients
- 1/2 brown onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 medium fennel bulb, thinly sliced
- 400g can diced tomatoes
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 kg black mussels, scrubbed and debearded
- tbsp parsley, finely chopped (extra for garnishing)
- Pinch of red chilli flakes
- Pinch sea salt and pepper
- 5-6 fresh basil leaves, roughly ripped
- Olive oil for cooking
For pasta
- 600g tipo 00 flour, plus extra for dusting
- 6 large free range eggs
- 2-3 tbsp water, if required
Method
- To prepare the dough, sift the flour into a KitchenAid Stand mixer bowl and attach the dough hook.
- Using a fork, gently whisk the eggs into the four. Place the mixer down and start mixing slowly on speed 1, working your way up to speed 2-3. Depending on the egg size used, 2-3 tbsp of water can be added if the dough is too dry.
- When the dough starts to come together, turn it out onto a clean bench dusted with a little flour. Knead a few times until smooth. Wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to rest.
- Cut dough into six pieces and flatten one piece slightly into a neat rectangle. Wrap the remaining pieces in plastic wrap to prevent it drying out.
- Attach the pasta roller attachment to your KitchenAid Stand Mixer. Starting on the widest setting (1), pass the flattened piece of dough through the machine a few times, folding each time to start with. Increase the notches one setting at a time up until notched at 5 or 6.
- Dust lightly with flour if it starts to stick. If it becomes too long to handle, cut in half and lay on a dusted tray flat while the remaining dough is rolled out.
- Attach the angle hair pasta cuter, linguine cutter or spaghetti cutter attachment to your KitchenAid Stand Mixer and pass each sheet of dough through. Lay the pasta onto a large tray dusted with flour, dust over with more flour to prevent it sticking.
- To prepare your sauce, add the diced onion and minced garlic to a large pot on medium heat with a good drizzle of olive oil. Sauté for a few minutes, until the onion starts to become translucent. Add the fennel and sauté for a further 5 minutes.
- Stir in the diced tomato and the dried oregano, place a lid on ajar and turn the heat down to a low simmer for 15-20 minutes.
- When you're ready to cook the pasta, bring a large stock pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook 4-5 minutes until al dente and drain, reserve the drained liquid for the sauce. Drizzle a little olive oil over the pasta to prevent it sticking.
- Add the mussels, 1 tbsp of parsley and a pinch of red chilli to the tomato sauce and place the lid back on. Once the mussels have all opened add the basil and season the sauce.
- Gently combine the pasta to the sauce and stir through. Serve with a good garnish of parsley.
