Pasta with mussels, guanciale, mascarpone and herbs, and a walnut and honey tart

It is Matariki down in Aotearoa, the Māori New Year, which is marked by the appearance of the Matariki or Pleiades star cluster.

It is traditionally seen as an opportunity to give thanks for the harvest just been, to pay tribute those no longer around, and to help usher their spirits into the stars above.

Mussels are one harvest that are never really out of supply. They’ve always been a little underrated in my opinion, and for what they are, incredibly cheap.

Surf, turf and cream - what’s not to like? Much needed comfort food, amongst all the madness in the world.

Speaking of comfort food…sweet pastry is a real weakness of mine. It’s worrying.

Nüsstorte is a heady Swiss treat that my good friend Daniela and her father Hampi introduced me to years ago. It’s a sort of sweet shortcrust pie with a caramelised nut filling that’s mostly cream and sugar. It’s utterly lethal. It makes me pleased and furious in equal measures.

One afternoon, in the grip of a severe nüsstorte hankering, with neither cream nor enough brown sugar but with walnuts and honey aplenty, I took a bold, brazen step, branched out from the beloved original, and ended up with this.

I mean it’s hardly less of a calorie hit but let’s not think in such grotesque terms. It’s delicious and that’s all that matters.

Have a beautiful and relaxing weekend, all.

S xx

PASTA WITH MUSSELS, GUANCIALE, MASCARPONE AND HERBS