First, make the watercress purée. Wash the watercress well and blanch in salted boiling water
500g of watercress
salt
2
Blend until smooth and make an emulsion with a touch of olive oil. Season with salt to taste
olive oil
3
To make the bergamot purée, blanch the segments in boiling water for 3–4 minutes and then refresh in iced water. Blitz in a blender to make a smooth paste
1 bergamot, segmented
4
For the mussels, heat the olive oil and garlic in a large saucepan and as soon as they are hot, add the mussels and cover with a lid. As soon as they open, remove from the heat and remove the meat from the shells. Chop the meat and set aside
30ml of olive oil
40 mussels, approximately 1kg
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
5
Pass the liquid that was released from the mussels through a fine sieve and set aside
6
Cook the pasta in boiling salted water for approximately 10 minutes, or until al dente. Drain when ready
7
Place the pasta in a large bowl and toss through the watercress purée, adding some of the reserved mussel water if needed. Sprinkle in a pinch of chilli powder
chilli powder
8
On the bottom of each plate, place a touch of bergamot purée then add the pasta. Add a handful of mussels and parsley and finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and salt flakes