Pasta with Mussels

We have gone to an Italian restaurant in an upscale area a few times and Charlie always orders mussels  cooked with wine. It is very good so I thought I'd try to find a recipe for mussles and wine.  This one cooked the mussels in wine and the sauce was made with a lot of wine.  It was not like the one from the restaurant but there were no leftovers. 

Pasta With Mussels

Matt Armendariz  serves 4

MARCIA KIESEL April 2002

Ingredients

• 2 cups dry white wine  I used Ruffino Orvieto Classico
• 4 bay leaves 
• 4 pounds small mussels, scrubbed and debearded 
• Pinch of saffron threads ( Turmeric is a substitute)
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 
• 4 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced 
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper 
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 
• 3/4 pound artisanal Italian spaghetti or linguine 
• Salt Freshly ground pepper

Step 1    

In a large pot, combine the wine with the bay leaves and bring to a boil. Add the mussels, cover and cook over high heat, shaking the pan a few times, until the mussels open, about 5 minutes. Drain the mussels in a colander set over a medium bowl. Pour the mussel broth into a glass measure. Crumble the saffron into the mussel broth.

Step 2    

Discard any unopened mussels. Remove the mussels from their shells and place in a bowl. Pour the melted butter over the mussels and toss to coat. Cover with plastic wrap.

Step 3    

Heat the extra-virgin olive oil in a large, deep skillet. Add the thinly sliced garlic and cook over low heat just until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Add the crushed red pepper and cook for 1 minute longer. Slowly pour in the reserved mussel broth, stopping when you reach the grit at the bottom of the glass measure. Add the lemon juice and simmer over moderately high heat until the sauce is reduced to about 1 cup, about 8 minutes.

Step 4    

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the spaghetti just until al dente. Drain the pasta well.

Step 5    

Add the buttered mussels and the hot spaghetti to the mussel sauce and toss over low heat until the pasta is uniformly coated. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to warmed shallow bowls and serve at once.

Make Ahead

The recipe can be prepared through Step 3 and refrigerated separately overnight.

Suggested Pairing

A buttery yet lighter style of Chardonnay will echo the creamy texture of the sauce and stand up to the briny mussels in this pasta.