Cacio e pepe risotto with mussels
- Difficulty: Easy
- Prep time: 15 min
- Cook time: 25 min
- Serving: 4
- Cost: Low
PRESENTATION
Cacio e Pepe Risotto with Mussels takes one of Italy's most recognizable flavor combinations — Pecorino Romano DOP, black pepper, and the creaminess that defines cacio e pepe — and rebuilds it around shellfish. The rice cooks in the liquid the mussels release, so every grain absorbs a concentrated brininess before the dish even comes together. A final mantecatura, the technique of beating cheese into the risotto off heat, produces a texture that is dense, velvety, and thoroughly emulsified.
Combining cheese and seafood runs against a well-known instinct in Italian home cooking, and that tension is the whole point here. The saltiness of the Pecorino Romano and the pungent warmth of black pepper don't fight the mussels — they give the mussel flavor something to push against, and the result holds together in a way that feels deliberate rather than accidental.
You might also like:
INGREDIENTS
- Mussels 1.3 lbs (600 g)
- Extra virgin olive oil to taste
- Garlic 2 cloves
- Carnaroli rice 1.8 cups (320 g)
- Fine salt to taste
- Vegetable broth 4 ¼ cups (1 l)
- White wine 3.5 oz (100 g)
- For finishing
- Pecorino Romano PDO cheese 3 oz (80 g)
- Extra virgin olive oil to taste
- Black pepper to taste
How to prepare Cacio e pepe risotto with mussels
To prepare the cacio, pepe and mussel risotto, start by cleaning the shellfish: rinse the mussels thoroughly under running water, remove any impurities from the shells and gently pull off the byssus (the "beard") 1. Pour a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil into a large pot and add the crushed garlic cloves 2. Let them release their aroma over medium heat, then add the cleaned mussels 3.
Cover immediately with the lid 4 and cook over medium heat until they have fully opened. At this point remove the pot from the heat and shell the mussels, placing the mollusks in a bowl 5. Carefully strain their cooking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve 6.
Set it aside together with the shelled mussels 7. Move on to preparing the risotto. Heat a saucepan and add the rice 8, then lightly salt 9 and dry-toast it for about 3 minutes, stirring often.
Deglaze with dry white wine 10 and let the alcohol evaporate completely. Begin cooking by adding one ladle of hot broth at a time 11, stirring often and waiting for the liquid to be absorbed before adding more. Continue cooking the risotto for about 14 minutes in total. In the final minutes also pour in the reserved strained mussel liquid 12 to further flavor the rice.
When the rice is al dente, remove the saucepan from the heat and proceed with the finishing: add the grated Pecorino Romano 13, drizzle a little extra-virgin olive oil (added raw) 14 and finish with plenty of freshly ground black pepper 15.
Add the shelled mussels as well 16 and stir vigorously to combine all the ingredients and obtain a creamy, enveloping risotto 17. Finally distribute the cacio, pepe and mussel risotto onto plates, finish with a grind of black pepper and, if you like, more grated Pecorino Romano. Serve immediately while very hot 18.