Mussels Marinara with Pasta

I adore mussels. I adore pasta. I adore mussels and pasta. You can see where I'm headed with this. I'm lucky to have a pretty adventurous hubby, and even though he was a little worried about trying this dish, he ended up loving it. Whew! Next up: clams!!

I should apologize for the horrible quality of the photo for this post, but I changed out the lightbulbs in my kitchen, and I just can't seem to get any photos right. Maybe one of these days I'll figure it out.




Mussels Marinara with Pasta
(From The Best Italian Classics)

1 lb. mussels, scrubbed and de-bearded
1 cup white wine
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
2 canned cups crushed tomatoes
2 tbsp. olive oil
3 tbsp. chopped fresh basil
8 oz. whole wheat pasta

Directions
1. In a pot, simmer white wine, garlic, and bay leaf for 3-4 minutes. Turn heat up to high and add mussels to the pot and cover. Cook 4-8 minutes, or until the mussels open up. Remove mussels and set aside.

2. Cook pasta according to package directions.

3. Turn heat down to medium. Add olive oil and tomatoes to the pan, and simmer for 10 minutes, or until sauce thickens. Add fresh basil and mussels to the pot to heat through, and pour mussels and sauce over pasta. Lightly toss to combine. Serve.