Flavorful Mussel Pasta Made with Seasonal Mussels
Simple and Delicious Mussel Pasta Recipe Bursting with the Taste of the Sea
Introducing a mussel pasta made with plenty of fresh, seasonal mussels, offering a refreshing and deep flavor. While great in hearty soups, this dish is also a perfect light yet elegant meal. Enjoy the aromatic blend of garlic and olive oil, enhanced by the rich oceanic essence of mussels. Let’s make this delightful mussel pasta together!
Ingredients- Spaghetti pasta, 240g
- Fresh mussels, 60
- Garlic cloves, 10
- Onion, 1
- Peperoncino, 5 (or dried chili peppers)
- White wine, 1/2 cup
- Extra virgin olive oil, 5 Tbsp
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, let’s prepare the mussels. Clean them by removing any barnacles and scrubbing the shells. Thinly slice the garlic cloves and coarsely chop the onion. Crush the peperoncino into small pieces. If you prefer more heat, you can use dried chili peppers.
Step 2
Heat a wide frying pan over medium-low heat and generously add olive oil. Sauté the sliced garlic until fragrant, being careful not to burn it. This slow sautéing will release a wonderful aroma.
Step 3
Once the garlic is fragrant, add the chopped onion and sauté until it becomes translucent. At this stage, add the crushed peperoncino (or dried chili peppers) and sauté together to infuse a spicy aroma.
Step 4
When the garlic and onion are softened and translucent, add all the prepared mussels to the pan. Increase the heat to high and stir-fry quickly. As the mussel shells begin to open slightly, pour in half a cup of white wine and stir to let the alcohol evaporate. The wine helps to remove any fishiness and adds depth of flavor.
Step 5
Cover the frying pan and cook over medium heat, allowing the mussels to release their delicious broth. Once the mussels have opened, reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 1 minute. Be careful not to overcook, as this can make the mussels tough.
Step 6
If the sauce seems too reduced during cooking, add a little pasta water (the water used to cook the pasta) to achieve your desired consistency. Pasta water is starchy and helps to emulsify the sauce, making it cling beautifully to the pasta.
Step 7
In a large pot, bring plenty of water to a rolling boil. Add a tablespoon of salt. Once the water is boiling, add the spaghetti and cook over medium heat for about 10-15 minutes, or until ‘al dente’ (slightly firm to the bite). If you need to cook the pasta in advance, toss it with a little olive oil to prevent sticking.
Step 8
Drain the al dente spaghetti and add it to the frying pan with the mussel sauce. Sauté together for about 5 minutes, adding more pasta water as needed, until the pasta is well coated with the sauce and has absorbed some of its flavor.
Step 9
Taste the pasta and adjust seasoning with salt if necessary. I found the natural umami from the mussels and the pasta water to be sufficient, so I didn’t add extra salt, but feel free to adjust to your preference. Enjoy your delicious mussel pasta!
