Spaghetti With Fresh Mussels, Parsley and Lemon

The internet and technology has made recipe collection much easier. I don’t have to keep mounds of magazines or recipe clippings around which also take up alot of space. However, to this day I still have a Bon Appetit issue from May 2002 titled “Islands of the Mediterranean”.

It covers Europe and North Africa, talking about what to do, accomodations and of course recipes. What stood out was the recipe of Clams and Spaghetti which you can find here on Epicurious.com.

I used mussels instead of clams as I find them to be more economical and tastier but otherwise the recipe is close to the original. Wow your guests with this simple, summer seafood & pasta dish.

Spaghetti With Fresh Mussels, Parsley and Lemon

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3 pounds fresh mussels, cleaned
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
zest of 1/2 lemon
1 tsp chili flakes
1 pound spaghetti

1. Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add sliced garlic and sauté until light brown, about 1 minute. Add clams and 1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley; stir 2 minutes.
2. Add wine; simmer 2 minutes. Add fresh lemon, cover and simmer until mussels open, about 4 minutes (discard any mussels that do not open).
3. Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain.
4. Add pasta to mussel mixture, along with the lemon zest, chili flakes and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to large bowl. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons parsley and serve.