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Mussels with spaghetti and spicy tomato sauce

Fresh or frozen mussels are widely available throughout the year. They are so easy to cook (it only takes five minutes!), yet many people are wary of them! You can get mussels now completely cleaned and ready to cook - the only rule you need to follow is to discard those that don’t open up during cooking. These mussels with spaghetti and spicy tomato sauce is an Italian recipe, perfect for special occasions such as Valentine’s day, Mother's Day, Birthdays etc. If you don’t want it spicy, reduce or omit the chilli. Serve it with a crispy salad!
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Resting Time 4 hours
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 3 people
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 1234
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 small onion or 2 shallots
  • 1 celery stick
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1 or 2 tsp dried chilli flakes or ½ red chilli
  • 100 ml white wine
  • 1 Tbsp tomato purée
  • 400 g tin chopped tomatoes
  • 200 g cleaned fresh or frozen mussels
  • 200 g spaghetti
  • 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Method
 

  1. Wash the mussels and remove any beards using a small knife. Rest them in cold water for 10 minutes or so to remove any grit.
  2. Meanwhile, make the sauce. Finely chop the onion, celery and garlic. Dice the carrots.
  3. Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large, shallow pan, then add the onion & celery and gently sauté for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and chilli, then cook for 3 more minutes, until the veggies are tender. Add the wine, stir for a minute, then add the tomato purée and tinned tomatoes. Season with salt &pepper. Bring to the boil, then gently simmer for 15 minutes.
  4. While the sauce is cooking, bring a pan of lightly salted water to the boil and cook the spaghetti for about 10 minutes, following the packet instructions. When it’s cooked (it should be al dente), drain and keep it warm in the pan, under cover.
  5. Drain the mussels and add them to the tomato sauce. Cover the pan and bring to the boil. Simmer until the mussels have opened – it should take about 5 minutes. Discard any that haven't opened.
  6. Add the drained spaghetti and gently toss everything together.
  7. Serve immediately, with chopped parsley scattered on top.