« Back Zuppa di Cozze alla Tarantina (Tarantina style mussel soup) 1kg of fresh mussels, scrubbed and with beards removed 1 whole small red chilli pepper, seeded 1 garlic clove, whole 300g fresh tomatoes, peeled and seeded 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped Sea salt and crushed black pepper to taste 2 tbsp olive oil Heat the olive oil up in a large, deep pan then add the garlic and chilli pepper. When they begin to deepen colour, remove them and discard. Then add the fresh tomatoes to the pan. Season with a pinch of salt and some black pepper to taste and leave to simmer for 10 minutes before adding the mussels. Return to the boil, cover and cook for about five minutes - be sure to shake the pan regularly until their shells open. At the end of the cooking time, remove any that have not opened and throw away. Garnish lightly with fresh parsley before serving with crusty bread. Serves 4 Polpette al Ragu (Meatballs in tomato sauce) 500g of minced meat 180g of grated pecorino cheese 250g of breadcrumbs 25g finely chopped parsley 1 large onion, finely chopped 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped 4 eggs 125ml dry white wine Sea salt and crushed black pepper to taste 500g fresh tomatoes, peeled and seeded and finely sliced 1 tbsp chopped basil In a large bowl, mix together the mince, garlic, onion, parsley, grated pecorino, breadcrumbs and eggs, along with a sprinkling of salt and pepper to taste. Add a little white wine to get the mixture to the correct consistency before shaping them into walnut sized balls and frying them lightly in olive oil until browned. Then set the meatballs to one side and add the fresh tomatoes and chopped basil to the juices in the pan. Add more seasoning here if required then leave to cook over a low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have softened into rich sauce. Then add the meatballs back to the pan, mix gently into the sauce and heat together for 5 minutes before serving. Serves 4