Recipe below: Bucatini with Mussels, Yellow Tomatoes, Butter, and Thyme
As you’ve probably noticed, I’m really dragging out the tomato season this year. I can’t help it. They’re still in the market. Big gorgeous heirlooms. Lots of them. I like going to Union Square Greenmarket around 6 p.m. to take advantage of the big bags of seconds that farmers lay out for almost free. I grabbed a bag of slightly bruised yellow tomatoes, not sure what variety, and when I got them home I was reminded of why I don’t always like yellow tomatoes. They tend to be a little mealy, low acid, and low sugar, which translates into sort of tasteless. But I had to use them for something, so into my mussel sauce they went. Wine, a touch of sugar, and a few drops of rice wine vinegar corrected their shortcomings. I didn’t really cook them, just threw them in at the end to heat through. Better that way.
Bucatini with Mussels, Yellow Tomatoes, Butter, and Thyme
(Serves 4)
Salt
1 pound bucatini
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 shallots, well chopped
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
½ teaspoon ground allspice
10 big thyme sprigs, the leaves chopped
2 pounds really fresh mussels, small ones if possible, well cleaned
Black pepper
½ cup dry white wine
3 big yellow tomatoes, seeded and chopped, about 3 cups (drain them briefly if they’re juicy, but mine weren’t and most yellow varieties aren’t)
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon rice wine vinegar
Aleppo pepper
A handful of flat-leaf parsley leaves, lightly chopped
Bring a big pot of salted water to a boil. Drop in the bucatini.
Set up a very large skillet or stew pot over medium high heat. Add half the butter, the shallots, garlic, thyme, and allspice, and sauté until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the mussels and the white wine. Season with a little salt and black pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mussels open. Add the tomatoes, and let cook for about a minute longer. Turn off the heat, and add the sugar and rice wine vinegar.
When the bucatini is al dente, drain it, and pour it into a big wide serving bowl. Add the rest of the butter and the parsley, and stir everything around. Add the mussels and broth and some Aleppo. Toss gently and serve hot.