The first step in preparing pasta with beans and mussels is to carefully clean the mussels, scraping the shells with a metal brush to remove the beard and any incrustations. Rinse them repeatedly in cold water to remove all traces of sand. Place the mussels in a large pan with a clove of garlic and a small bunch of parsley and leave them to open over high heat. 

When they are open, turn off the heat and set aside 1/4 of the mussels in their shells for a garnish, and then shell the remaining mussels. Sieve the liquid released by the mussels and set it aside. In a casserole pan, flavour the cherry tomatoes, cut in half or quarters according to size, for a few minutes with extra-virgin olive oil, a whole clove of garlic, the pieces of chilli pepper and the leaves from the bunch of parsley. Season with salt and pepper. 

Add the pre-cooked beans and the sieved liquid from the mussels and cook for a few minutes over medium heat. When the liquid comes to the boil, pour the pasta directly into the casserole pan. Add a generous amount of vegetable broth to completely cover the pasta and continue to cook, stirring often. If necessary, add a little more broth, bearing in mind that the final dish should be dense in consistency. 

Just a couple of minutes before the pasta is cooked, add the shelled mussels and stir well. Turn off the heat, cover the pan with a lid and leave it to rest for one minute. Serve the pasta with beans and mussels with a drizzle of cold oil and garnish with the remaining mussels in their shells.