Mussels Pasta Recipes

PASTA WITH MUSSELS IN TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Pulse tomatoes with juices in food processor just a few times to break down into a coarse purée; set aside. Bring large pot of water to boil for pasta.
• Meanwhile, in a wide skillet or saucepan with lid, combine crushed garlic clove and shallot with white wine. Bring to a boil and add mussels. Cover and cook, shaking pan from time to time, 2 to 4 minutes, or until mussels open up. Check mussels after 2 minutes; transfer open mussels to a bowl using tongs. Cover pan again, wait another minute, and repeat until all mussels have opened.
• Leave mussels to cool in bowl until easily removed from shells. Remove half from shells and leave other half intact. Taste a mussel; if it is sandy, give them all a very quick rinse and drain in a colander. Transfer to a bowl and keep covered while you make tomato sauce.
• Place a strainer over another bowl, line with cheesecloth and strain the liquid in the pan into bowl. Reserve 1/2 cup. Rinse and dry pan.
• Heat olive oil over medium heat in pan and add minced garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring, just until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add tomatoes, thyme or marjoram (or both), and sugar.
• Turn heat up to medium-high and cook, stirring often, 5 to 10 minutes, until tomatoes have cooked down slightly. Add 1/2 cup broth from mussels, stir together and bring to a simmer. Taste and add salt as needed (you may not need to add any). Tip all mussels, shelled and unshelled, into sauce, cover and turn heat to very low or remove from heat if not serving right away. Keep warm while you cook pasta.
• Warm a large bowl for the pasta. When water for pasta comes to a rolling boil, salt generously and add pasta. Cook al dente, following the directions on the package. Drain and toss in the warm bowl with tomato sauce, mussels and parsley. Serve right away.

MUSSELS AND PASTA WITH CREAMY WINE SAUCE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook linguine at a boil until tender yet firm to the bite, about 11 minutes.
• Place mussel meat in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse thoroughly with cold water.
• Melt 1 teaspoon butter in a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Gently warm the mussels until they release their water, about 3 minutes. Remove to a bowl and set aside.
• Wipe out the skillet with paper towels. Melt remaining 3 teaspoons butter in the skillet. Cut any large mushrooms into smaller pieces. Add to the skillet and sprinkle with pepper. Cook until starting to soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Pour wine into the skillet, add red pepper flakes, and cook until wine has reduced by half, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour in cream and add mussels. Heat until warmed through, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Use tongs to lift linguine out of the pot and add to the skillet with some of the cooking water. Toss to coat with sauce. Plate and garnish with lemon zest.

MUSSELS WITH PASTA

Steps:

• Rinse the mussels and drain thoroughly. Put them in a heavy-bottom kettle and cover closely. It is not necessary to add liquid. As the mussels cook, shake them in the kettle to redistribute them. Let steam 3 to 4 minutes or until the mussels open. Uncover.
• Line a bowl with a fine sieve and line the sieve with a double thickness of cheesecloth. Pour the liquid from the kettle into it; there should be almost 3/4 cup. Set aside. Empty the mussels into a flat dish and set aside.
• Drop the tomatoes into a basin of boiling water and let stand 9 seconds. Drain and, using a small paring knife, pull the skin from each. Cut away and discard the core from each. Cut the tomatoes into small cubes. There should be about 2 1/4 cups.
• Bring about 10 cups of water to the boil and add salt to taste.
• Meanwhile, put the oil in skillet and add the garlic. Cook briefly without browning and add the tomatoes. Cook about 2 minutes and add the reserved mussel liquid, hot red pepper flakes, salt and pepper to taste. Cook 5 minutes and add the cream. Bring to the boil and add the mussels with any accumulated liquid. Bring to the boil and remove from the heat. Stir in the basil.
• Add the linguine to the boiling water and cook 10 to 12 minutes to the desired doneness. Drain and add to the mussels and serve.

MUSSEL MOUCLADE PASTA

Steps:

• Boil the pasta in salted water, following pack instructions. Meanwhile, heat a large, wide, lidded pan. Melt the butter and add the onion. Cover and cook on a medium heat for about 7 mins until soft and turning golden here and there. Add the curry power and garlic, and cook for 1 min more.
• Turn up the heat and add the mussels to the pan. Pour in the wine (it should steam dramatically), then cover with a tight-fitting lid. Cook over high heat for 5 mins, shaking the pan every now and again, untll the mussels are wide open. Discard any that remain closed, then lift the mussels from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside. Drain the pasta when it's ready.
• Stir the cream into the mussel cooking liquor, then boil hard for 30 secs or so until the sauce is the consistency of single cream. If it gets too thick, add a splash of water. Taste and check the seasoning; I like this with lots of black pepper, which gives heat, instead of using chilli. Return the mussels to the pan, add the coriander and the pasta, and toss well. Serve in large shallow bowls, with a bowl for discarded shells.