Mussels with Red or White Sauce
Wash the mussels in cold running water and pull off any of the beard that might be attached to some of them. Discard any mussels that don’t close when tapped.
Either of these recipes can be served as a sauce for linguine or spaghetti but I prefer them simply with a loaf of good Italian bread.
Mussels in White Sauce
Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 small shallot diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- Salt to taste
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 2 lbs. cleaned mussels
- 2 tbsp. butter
- ½ cup chopped parsley
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook the shallot until it’s translucent. Add the garlic and stir and cook for 2 minutes. Add ½ teaspoon of salt. Add the white wine and raise the heat. When it boils add the mussels and cover the pot.
Shake the pot and check after 5 minutes. The mussels should be starting to open. Cover and wait until they’re all opened and discard any that didn’t.
Remove them with a slotted spoon to a serving dish leaving the sauce in the pot. Discard any mussels that haven’t opened.
Whisk the butter and parsley into the sauce. Check for seasoning and pour the sauce over the mussels and serve. If you’re serving with pasta, add one cup of the pasta cooking water to the sauce.
Mussels in Red Sauce
Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 3 cloves of minced garlic
- Salt and black, and red pepper to taste
- ½ cup dry red wine
- 1 – 28 ounce can of chopped tomatoes
- 2 lbs. cleaned mussels
- ¼ cup chopped parsley
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and stir and cook for 2 minutes. Add salt, black, and red pepper.
Add the red wine and tomatoes, and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the mussels, cover the pot and steam for about 15 minutes, shaking the pot or stirring from time to time. When the mussels have opened, stir in the chopped parsley, and serve. Discard any mussels that haven’t opened.
It works with pasta too.
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