Mussels with Farro Cannellini, and Chickpeas
- 2 cans chickpeas
- 2 cans cannellini beans
- 1 cup carrots, chopped
- 1 cup celery , chopped
- 1 cup onion, chopped
- 1½ cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for finishing
- 1 cup farro
- ½ teaspoon peperoncino flakes
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed, peeled, and sliced
- 2 pounds mussels
- 4 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley
Drain and rinse the chickpeas and cannellini beans and put them in the big saucepan with about 6 cups of fresh cold water. Set the pot over medium-high heat and drop in the chopped carrot, celery and onion, the halved cherry tomatoes, and 4 tablespoons of the olive oil. Bring the water to a boil, partially cover the pan and adjust the heat to maintain a steady, bubbling simmer for about 1 hr. Stir occasionally.
Rinse the farro grains in a sieve and stir in with the beans, along with the 1-1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the peperoncino. There should be about 1/4-inch of liquid covering the beans and grain; add more if necessary. Return to the boil, partially cover and simmer for about 30 minutes or longer, until the beans and the farro are tender-add water if needed to keep the beans and grains barely covered with liquid as they finish cooking. When they are done, most of the surface water should have been absorbed or evaporated but the stew should be slightly soupy.
While the farro cooks, prepare the mussels. Pour the remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil in the sauté pan, scatter in the garlic cloves and remaining 1/4 teaspoon peperoncino. Cook for 3 minutes or so over medium-high heat until the garlic is lightly colored then add all the rinsed mussels at once. Tumble them around the pan quickly, to coat with oil and put on the cover. Cook over high heat for about 2 minutes, shaking the covered pan a couple of times, just until the mussels are open, and take the pan off the stove.
Shuck the mussels right over the pan, letting the juices and meat drop in. Discard the shells (and any mussels that did not open). If you like, leave a dozen or so mussels in the shell for a garnish.
When the farro and beans are cooked, pour the shucked mussels and their juices into the pot and stir well-the consistency should be rather brothy. Heat to the boil and cook for just a minute to make sure everything is nice and hot. Taste and adjust salt. Stir in the chopped parsley and spoon portions into warm pasta bowls; garnish with unshucked mussels if you saved them. Drizzle good olive oil over each and serve immediately.
