Spaghetti con le Cozze

One of my favourite things about the Italy was the food, especially the freshness and simplicity of the ingredients. One of my favourite meals was spaghetti con le cozze, or spaghetti with mussels - fresh, homemade spaghetti noodles, in a simple and chunky tomato sauce, with locally-caught mussels and lots and lots of fresh garlic. 
Some people are intimidated over cooking with mussels, but they are affordable, sustainable and surprisingly simple to cook. Minimal ingredients are needed to create this tasty mussel dish. Enjoy!

Spaghetti con le Cozze [Spaghetti with Mussels] Yields: 4 servings
Ingredients:

• 2 pints (2x500ml jars) homemade tomato sauce
• 1 package spaghetti 
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup dry, white wine (optional)
• 2 lbs mussels
• parmesan cheese, grated
• loaf of fresh Italian bread

Directions:

1. Bring water to a boil in a large pot. Add 2 tbsp salt.
2. In a sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until light golden brown, about a minute. Add the stock and wine, raise the heat, and bring to a boil
3. Add the mussels to the liquid. Cook, stirring and tossing, until all of the mussels have opened, about 6 minutes. Discard any unopened mussels.
4. In a separate large pot, add the homemade tomato sauce and 2 gloves of garlic, minced. Simmer until heated through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Meanwhile, drop the pasta into the boiling water and cook until al dente. Drain well.
6. Add the pasta to the pot with the tomato sauce. Toss in pasta in the sauce and plate.
7. Top the plated pasta with mussels, drained of liquid. Garnish with grated parmesan cheese.
8. Serve extra mussels separately, with a side of sliced fresh bread for dipping.

Farmed mussels, especially those grown in suspended culture such as blue mussels, are an excellent sustainable seafood option, and Ocean Wise recommended. Similar to how these Alaskan oysters were cultivated. 
Love mussels? Check out this recipe for mussels in a garlic wine sauce. 

Do you enjoy mussels? Is this a recipe you would make?