How to Clean Mussels and Make Amazing Spaghetti

Ingredients

• Fresh mussels, 1.5 kg
• Spaghettoni, 500 gr
• Garlic, one clove
• Extra virgin olive oil, q.b.
• Fresh or dried chili pepper, q.b.
• Fresh parsley, q.b.
• Lemon, zest of 1

Steps

1. 1.Clean mussels: Place dirty mussels in a large bag with plenty of coarse salt. Shake vigorously, rubbing and agitating the surface of the mussels as much as possible. Remove mussels from the bag and rinse under cold running water.
2. 2.Prepare the flavorful base: In a pan, create a rich base with olive oil, garlic, chili pepper, and parsley stems.
3. 3.Cook mussels and pasta: Once the soffritto is ready, add the cleaned mussels, cover with a lid, and cook on high heat for a few minutes until they open. Drain the mussels, reserving all their liquid. Remove mussels from their shells, keeping only the meat. Cook spaghetti in lightly salted boiling water for half their cooking time. Drain spaghetti and transfer to the pan with the reserved mussel liquid. 'Risotto' the pasta in the pan, adding cooking ladles of water occasionally until al dente. Finish by stirring in extra virgin olive oil, lemon zest, and finely chopped parsley off the heat.