Pasta e Fagioli with Mussels

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• Olive oil
• 1 potato, diced
• 1 onion
• 1 carrot, diced
• 2 celery sticks, diced
• 500g cannellini beans, soaked overnight
• Salt and pepper
• 250 ml white wine
• 2 Tbs Thyme, chopped
• 2 Tbs Oregano, chopped
• 500g fresh mussels
• 250g ditalini pasta, cooked
• 2 Italian tomatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1 cup baby spinach
• Fresh basil, finely chopped
• Handful wild rocket

Method:

1. Heat olive oil in a saucepan and sauté the potato, onion, carrot and celery.
2. Add the soaked beans and cover with water. Leave to simmer for 35 minutes or until beans are cooked through.
3. Remove 1 cup of cooked beans and blend the rest. Season to taste.
   Place the wine, thyme and oregano into a pan and bring to the boil, add the mussels and cover.
4. Once mussels are cooked, remove from the shell (save a few in the shell for decoration).
5. Add the cooked pasta to the bean puree together with the mussels, tomato and baby spinach and toss to combine.
6. Serve in a deep bowl topped with the reserved beans, mussels and basil.

Garnish with the rocket.