Spaghetti with mussels and chorizo breadcrumbs

Name: Spaghetti with mussels and chorizo breadcrumbs
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 1½ tbsp olive oil; 150g chorizo, chopped; 70g fresh breadcrumbs; 400g dried spaghetti; 10g parsley, stems finely chopped, leaves roughly chopped; 3 garlic cloves, sliced; 200g cherry tomatoes, halved; 1kg mussels, rinsed and beards removed (discard any that don’t close when tapped); 250ml dry white wine

Emily Gussin
Food producer and sustainability lead, delicious.

Published: 20 May 25
Updated: 26 May 25

Spaghetti with mussels and chorizo breadcrumbs is impressive enough to serve to friends, but simple enough for a quick midweek meal. Think vongole with a Spanish twist.

Why it’s so good: Slowly frying chorizo in a pan gives you a rich red oil that’s ideal for toasting breadcrumbs. The spicy crumb gives your mussels a welcome crunch, smokiness and a hum of heat.
30-minute meal: This simple but elegant spaghetti dish only needs 10 minutes prep and 20 minutes cooking time.
Don’t waste it: Keep any leftover chorizo crumb in a container in the fridge for up to 1 week. Sprinkle it onto salads, soups or other pasta dishes.

Jazz up your midweek repertoire with more quick pasta recipes.

Serves 4
Prep time 10 min. Cook time 20 min

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Ingredients

1½ tbsp olive oil
150g chorizo, chopped
70g fresh breadcrumbs
400g dried spaghetti
10g parsley, stems finely chopped, leaves roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves, sliced
200g cherry tomatoes, halved
1kg mussels, rinsed and beards removed (discard any that don’t close when tapped)
250ml dry white wine

Method

For the chorizo crumb, put 1 tbsp oil and the chorizo in a frying pan over a medium heat and cook gently for about 10 minutes to slowly release the oil, then crisp up the chorizo. Add the breadcrumbs and increase the heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring regularly, until golden and toasted. Season with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, then cook the spaghetti according to the pack instructions until al dente.
Heat the remaining ½ tbsp oil in another large pan with a lid over a medium high heat. Add the parsley stems, garlic and tomatoes with a pinch of salt and cook for about 2 minutes until softened a little. Tip in the mussels and wine, stirring to combine, then cover with the lid. Cook for 3-4 minutes, shaking the pan every now and then, until the mussels have opened (see Know-how).
Drain the spaghetti and add it to the pot of mussels along with the parsley, then stir to combine. Serve with the crumb sprinkled on top.

Recipe from June 2025 Issue

Nutrition

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 717kcals
Fat: 24g (7.2g saturated)
Protein: 31g
Carbohydrates: 81g (5.1g sugars)
Fibre: 5.3g
Salt: 1.9g

delicious. tips

Discard any damaged mussels or ones that don’t close when they’re tapped before cooking. Most of the mussels will open when they’re cooked. Shaking the pan every now and then while they steam will help rearrange them so they cook evenly without letting the heat escape. If any haven’t opened at the end of the cooking time, they’ll still be fine – some mussels have extra-powerful adductor muscles that just won’t budge! You can open them when you eat them.

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