Pasta and Beans with Mussels

Method

1. Crush a clove of garlic and sauté it in oil with a pinch of chili pepper.
2. Add the mussels and cook for just a second, then add a couple of ladles of water.
3. Let the mussels open, removing each one as soon as it opens to keep them tender.
4. Strain and reserve the mussel broth; set aside the mussels.
5. In the same pan, add the previously cooked creamy beans and bring to a boil.
6. Add the raw pasta (mezzi canneroni) and cook like a minestra, adding the reserved broth little by little.
7. Separately, fry a crushed garlic clove in oil, then add two tablespoons of tomato sauce and cook briefly.
8. Gradually add the tomato sauce mixture to the pasta while continuing to cook, adding more liquid as needed.
9. Make a trito (finely chopped mix) by crushing garlic, basil, and parsley together with a knife.
10. Add half of the trito to the pasta, then season with a pinch of salt (be careful as the mussel water is salty).
11. Mix the remaining trito with the reserved mussels to make a cold mussel salad.
12. When the pasta is al dente and creamy, serve with a drizzle of raw olive oil, a twist of black pepper, the mussel salad on top, and fresh basil.