Mussel Tagliatelle in a Tomato Basil Butter Sauce
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Mussels, scrubbed and bearded
- ¾ lb Tagliatelle
- ¼ cup White wine
- ½ cup Unsalted butter
- 1 large Onion, thinly sliced
- 2 Garlic cloves, finely sliced
- 1 796ml Can of whole tomatoes
- 5 sprigs Fresh basil
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Dried red chili flakes
Instructions
- Rinse mussels and discard any broken or open mussels.
- In a large pot with a lid bring the wine and ¼ cup of water to a boil, once boiling add mussels. Cover and cook mussels for 2-4 minutes, shaking the pot to stir the mussels a few times. Transfer the mussels to a bowl to cool. Strain cooking liquid through a fine sieve and set aside. Discard any unopened mussels. Remove meat from half the shells, discard empty shells and keep remaining mussels intact, set aside.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta.
- Melt butter in a large pot over medium-high heat, add onions and garlic, season with salt and pepper. Cook for 10-12 minutes until they begin to soften, stirring often. Deglaze the pan with ½ cup reserved mussel liquid. Add whole tomatoes to the pot, breaking up the tomatoes with your hands as you add them, 2 sprigs of basil and a pinch of dried chili flakes. Bring the mixture to a simmer and then reduce heat to medium low. Let sauce simmer 10-15 minutes, until onions are completely soft and the sauce has thickened.
- Meanwhile add pasta to boiling water, cooking until al dente, about 8-10 minutes. Drain pasta, add to the pot with tomato sauce, stir in reserved mussels and shells. Toss together, adjust seasoning and add more mussel liquid if needed.
- Serve in large pasta bowls. Tear fresh basil leaves over top and sprinkle over more dried chili flakes if desired.