Spaghetti alle Cozze (Spaghetti with Fresh Mussels)
Serves: Four - Six

The secret to this easy dish is in using the mussel cooking liquid as the base for your sauce. The musselsí natural sea essence infuses your sauce making it highly aromatic and flavorful. Keep in mind as with most Italian cooking, the simplicity of the dish demands using only the freshest ingredients for first-class results.

Ingredients:

• 3 pounds small black mussels, scrubbed well
• 1 garlic clove, unpeeled and left whole
• 2/3 cup dry white wine (recommend Verdicchio)
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon red chile pepper flakes or to taste
• 1 pound ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and small diced
• 2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 1 pound spaghetti or Bucatini (recommend Latini or Barilla)
• Sea salt

Instructions:

Place the mussels, whole garlic clove, and wine in a large pot and cover tightly. Cook mussels over moderately high heat to steam, turn them over frequently, and remove mussels from the pan as they open their shells (discard any clams that are unopened after 10 minutes). Allow mussels to cool. Shuck mussels, saving a few for garnish, and rough chop discarding garlic. Strain the remaining liquid from the pot through a coffee filter and return clams to the liquid and reserve.

Place a large pot of well salted water on to a boil for the pasta. In a large saucepan heat butter, olive oil, minced garlic, and chile flakes and cook briefly until the garlic begins to turn golden (donít let it brown). Add the mussel liquid and simmer gently for 5 - 10 minutes, liquid needs to reduce to a more sauce-like consistency. Meanwhile, cook spaghetti until al dente and drain. Add the tomatoes, parsley, and mussels and stir to coat with sauce and heat newly added ingredients. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. Add the pasta to the sauce and toss to heat the pasta; transfer to a warmed serving bowl.

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