Spaghetti with Mussels, Saffron and Pistachio Crumbs

Method

1. Clean the mussels: remove the beard (byssus) and wash them thoroughly.
2. Prepare the parsley: separate the leaves from the stems. Keep the stems aside.
3. In a pan, heat a little olive oil, add a whole clove of garlic (in its skin), the parsley stems, and half a glass of dry white wine or brut sparkling wine. Add the mussels, season with black pepper, cover and cook over high heat until they open (a few minutes).
4. Remove the mussels from the pan and set aside. Filter the cooking liquid through a fine sieve and reserve it.
5. Shell most of the mussels, leaving a few with the shell for garnish.
6. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti for half the time indicated on the package.
7. Meanwhile, in a large pan, heat olive oil. Add a halved garlic clove (in skin) and fresh chili pepper (to taste). Add 4-5 halved cherry tomatoes and sauté over low heat until they soften. Remove the garlic and chili if desired.
8. Add the filtered mussel cooking liquid to the pan, bring to a boil, then cover and let simmer over low heat.
9. When the pasta is half-cooked, transfer it to the pan with the sauce using tongs. Add some pasta cooking water as needed to continue cooking. Stir frequently.
10. Cook the pasta in the sauce, adding pasta water little by little to achieve a creamy consistency. About 30 seconds before the pasta is done, add the shelled mussels and toss to heat through.
11. Add the saffron powder directly to the pan and toss vigorously until the color is evenly distributed.
12. Turn off the heat. Add the chopped parsley leaves and toss gently.
13. Adjust the consistency with a little more pasta water if needed.
14. Plate the spaghetti. Garnish with the reserved whole mussels, a sprinkle of pistachio crumbs, a few saffron pistils (if available), a grating of lemon zest, and a tiny grind of black pepper.