Barbaras Mussels Food

SICILIAN MUSSELS MARINARA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook as the label directs; drain.
• Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes; cook, stirring, until the garlic is slightly softened, about 1 minute. Drain the tomatoes, reserving 1/2 cup juice; crush the tomatoes with your hands and set aside. Add the tomato juice and bay leaves to the skillet. Cook, stirring, until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.
• Add the clam juice and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until the liquid evaporates slightly, about 2 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, about 12 minutes.
• Increase the heat to high. Remove the bay leaves and add the mussels to the sauce. Cover and cook until the mussels open, about 5 minutes. (Discard any unopened mussels.) Add the spaghetti and parsley; toss to coat. Season with salt and drizzle with more olive oil.

MUSSELS MARINARA

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute until cooked. Add the wine and reduce by half, then add the plum tomatoes, oregano and parsley. Add the mussels to the pan and allow to cook for about 10 minutes until all the mussels are open. Transfer mussels to a platter. (Discard any mussels that do not open.)
• You can mound some pasta in the center of the plate surrounded by the mussels or have some bruschetta handy for dipping into the sauce.
• Adjust the seasoning for the sauce with salt and pepper, as necessary. Coat the mussels with the sauce and sprinkle with fresh chopped basil just before serving.