The SPAGHETTI WITH MUSSELS are a simple but very tasty first course from the Italian seaside tradition, rich in flavor and with the intense fragrance of the sea that these mussels, like few others, bring to the plate. The dish can be served on countless occasions, from a simple family lunch to festive menus, since its deliciousness is enjoyed by everyone, even the most refined palates.
Preparing this dish is really easy, as the ingredients should remain very few, according to tradition, to highlight the taste of the mussels. The only attention you need to pay is to cooking times: naturally the spaghetti (but for us Italians it’s almost unnecessary to say) and also the mussels, which must not become rubbery. I recommend following the step-by-step photos I added below and I’m sure you won’t have any trouble bringing this masterpiece of our country’s humble (and delicious) cuisine to the table.
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Budget-friendly
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 2 lb 3 oz lbs mussels
- 13.4 oz spaghetti
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 bunch parsley
- chili pepper (optional)
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- to taste coarse salt
WHAT YOU’LL NEED FOR THE SPAGHETTI WITH MUSSELS
- 1 Casserole pan
- 1 Pot
- 1 Colander
PREPARATION SPAGHETTI WITH MUSSELS
To prepare SPAGHETTI WITH MUSSELS, first wash the mussels under cold running water. Check for any encrustations and remove them with a steel wool pad or a small knife if necessary.
Discard any mussels with open or broken shells, remove the byssus (the tuft of fibers that protrudes) by pulling it out with your fingers or a knife, and rinse the mussels again until the water runs clear.
In a deep pan add a drizzle of oil, one clove of garlic, a few parsley stems and, if you like, some chili pepper. Gently sauté, add the well-drained mussels, cover with a lid and place over high heat until they have opened.
Remove the mussels, shell almost all of them (leave a few in the shell for garnish) and set aside. Strain the cooking liquid.
In the same pan (carefully washed) put a drizzle of oil, the other clove of garlic and some parsley. Let it gently sauté, add the strained mussel liquid and the mussels kept aside, and simmer over medium heat until the liquid reduces slightly.
Cook the spaghetti in plenty of boiling salted water. Drain them still al dente into the pan with the sauce, add a little of the starchy pasta cooking water, a drizzle of oil, the chopped parsley and finish cooking the spaghetti with the mussels until a thick creamy sauce forms.
Plate the spaghetti with mussels right away and enjoy them hot and creamy.
