This is a delicious mussel recipe that is very quick to cook and prepare. These tasty shellfish have plump, juicy flesh and a sweet taste of the sea. They make a great combination with the garlic and pasta for a great family meal or sharing with friends.
Prep time for this recipe will be a speedy 5 minutes allow a further 13-15 minutes for the cooking. Quantities in the recipe below will feed four people.
Ingredients For Mussel Recipe With Garlic And Pasta
1kg mussels from Walter Purkis & Sons
2 tsbp olive oil
2 tsbp butter
1 large onion, chopped finely
3 whole garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 glass of white wine (the alcohol will evaporate when it is heated)
½ teaspoons thyme, dried
400g linguine or a similar pasta such as spaghetti or tagliatelle
Handful flat leaf parsley roughly chopped
Salt and pepper for seasoning
Tips For Preparing Fresh Mussels
To get them ready for the pot you need to wash, scrub and de-beard the mussels. (The “Beards” are small brown threads that can be found sticking out from the joint between the two shell halves. They are the remains of the animals tethering system that attaches it to a rock or other underwater surface. Pull the beard hard towards the hinge or more pointed end of the mussel. Remove it completely and throw away.)
While you are cleaning look for any open shells, if you find one tap it on your work top – any that do not close when tapped should be discarded. If you are not ready to cook right away you can put the cleaned mussels in a fresh bowl of cold water until ready to use. You might want to change this water to remove any salt or sand that comes out of the mussels.
Did you know? – Colour is not indicative of quality – orange flesh tells you the mussel is female, while a whiter hue suggests a male.
Cooking Method For Mussel Recipe With Garlic And Pasta
Melt the butter with the olive oil in a saucepan/dish over medium-low heat. Add the chopped onion and garlic, cook for 3
minutes or until the vegetables are softened and looking translucent.
Next pour in the wine and stir before adding the mussels. The mussels should be closed. Stir and cover the pot for about 8-10 minutes.
While the mussels are cooking, cook the linguine as per the instructions on the pack and plate up the linguine into warmed bowls for your family or guests.
Discard any mussels that have failed to open fully, season well with salt and pepper and garnish with a generous sprinkle of parsley before serving on top of the pasta.
Serve right away with some crusty bread to soak up the tasty juices.
We have lots of other equally delicious mussels recipes here >>
