Pasta and Mussels

The other night I cooked this simple linguine and mussels dish. It was very easy and tasted so good. Give it a try. Here’s how …

While water for pasta (quite unlike “water for chocolate”) is coming to a rockin’-rollin’ boil, get a big handful of fresh basil (I also tossed in some rosemary) and chuck it into a FoodPro or blender (or a big ol’ mortar and pestle). Give it a whiz or two or three and start pouring in some good olive oil until you get a nice pesto-like paste. Add a squeeze of lemon to taste. Add some salt and pepper.

Have a decent bottle of white wine near the stove and ready to go.

Get a large saute pan (avec lid) jumping hot (because the French word “sauter” means “to jump”): dump in a dozen or so mussels and slam the lid on right away. Let ‘em sit for two or three minutes (deux ou trois minutes).

Mussel (image by "Tamorlan" courtesy Wikimedia Commons).

Lift the lid and pour in a half-cup of wine (or whatever) and quick like a bunny pop the lid back on. Let mussels continue to steam and cook until they open (requisite recipe disclaimer: discard any and all mussels that do not open).

Take a few good healthy sips of the wine while things continue to cook.

When the pasta is almost cooked–just a tad before al dente–tong it out of the water and into the mussel pan. Give it a good ol’ shake around. Add the basil concoction to the mussels and pasta and stir ‘em up. Add some fresh chopped chilies or some dry ones.

Simmer for a few minutes to integrate flavours. Adjust the seasoning.

Eat.