Sarasotas Creamy Mussels Over Pasta With Herb Bread Recipes

SARASOTA'S CREAMY MUSSELS OVER PASTA WITH HERB BREAD

Steps:

• Base Flavors -- In a large sauce pan or pot, add the butter and melt on medium high heat. Add the garlic, fennel, onion and leek and cook until slightly tender (about 4-5 minutes). Deglaze the pan with the brandy (and remember to remove from the heat when you add alcohol), then add the wine and broth, tomatoes, red pepper, lemon juice, salt (go lightly mussels have a salty quality) and pepper. Let the broth warm up and cook another 5 minutes on medium (not boiling, just a light simmer).
• Mussels -- Add in the mussels and cover. They will take around 10 minutes for that many mussels, stir occasionally. Cook until they all open.
• Just remember - Don't add any mussels to the pot that are already open (and when tapped, they don't close), and if they are cracked, toss them.
• Finishing -- As the mussels cook, toast up the bread and slather with the herb butter and a dash of the paprika. Cook the pasta according to directions (angel hair takes only minutes).
• Mussels -- Finish the mussels by adding in the parsley, chives and cream. Keep on medium and cook another minute or two until the sauce is warm. Stir to get all the flavors mixed throughout.
• Serving -- Just serve the mussels in a large serving bowl with all the broth. Make sure each person has a bowl for their pasta and plenty of the broth from the mussels and crunchy bread to soak up all that flavor. OUTSTANDING!
• NOTE: As one reviewer mentioned they didn't make the bread, but did suggest that you do. The pasta and bread is key for this. It is a thinner sauce almost like a Japanese noodle bowl so the pasta and bread are used to soak up all the sauce and flavors. Even though it is creamy, the sauce is thinner which is why the bread and pasta are key for this.

MUSSELS IN HERBED CREAM SAUCE

Steps:

• Remove beards and scrub mussels under cold running water.
• Discard any that remain open after handling.
• Put in a large bowl and refrigerate until needed[best if it is the same day!
• Heat the oil in a wok, add onion, spring onions and garlic and stirfry gently for a few minutes.
• Add wine, cream, lots of black pepper and tomatoes.
• Bring to the boil, add the mussels and cover with a large lid.
• Shake of stir the mussels around a couple of times until they open[about 5 minutes].
• Transfer mussels to a large bowl, leaving the cream sauce in the wok.
• Boil the sauce with the lid off over a high heat until reduced by half.
• Add herbs, then pour sauce over the mussels.
• Serve in shallow soup plates with thick slices of crusty bread to mop up the cream sauce.

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.