Bringing The Taste Of The Sea Into Your Kitchen (For Those Who Hate Fish)

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For those that are on their travels, and exploring new and uncharted territories, food is part and parcel of the experience. Trying new foods is, for some, a very stressful undertaking, but it’s got to be done! Fish is one of those things that lots of people love or hate, but it seems that everybody loves pasta, right? So, here is a great sea dish to bring into your kitchen. This food is great for a party, it’s so wonderfully filling, and easy to make. So even if your culinary skills aren’t up to the test, follow this recipe, and you will bring the sea home with you!

Pasta With Mussels, Garlic And Parsley

Ingredients

• 1 lb 2 oz/500g mussels, cleaned – mussels are a nice timid flavour. You can get them from any online seafood suppliers, such as Citarella, and you can see Citarella here for the various types of mussels you can get.
• 5 oz/150g of long pasta, such as spaghetti or linguine (you can substitute this for a gluten-free option if you wish)
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil (extra virgin always preferred!)
• 1 onion, diced finely
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• ¼ stock  cube made into a 3 1/2 fl oz/100 ml of broth with boiling water
• A large handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped as small as possible

If you are looking to expand the flavour, wine is a good option. Simply add a small glass of white to the broth.

Directions

1. Make sure you clean the mussels properly. You need to scrub any dirt or barnacles off the shells. Mussels can have lots of seaweed, make sure you remove these little strands, and discard any broken shells.
2. Using a pan of boiling water, add salt, and cook the pasta for approximately 10 minutes. The aim is to get the pasta al dente. Once cooked, drain the pasta well. If you’re going for a gluten-free pasta, make sure the mixture doesn’t stick and go all gloopy, adding some olive oil to the pan helps.
3. Using a large pan, add a splash of olive oil, and cook the onion for five minutes, or until the onion is soft – be sure that it’s not colored. Add the garlic, and cook this mixture for an additional minute. Bring the heat up to high, and throw in the mussels. Continue to stir the mussels, garlic, and onion, until everything is coated in the flavors.
4. Pour the stock into the mixture, and cover. Cook this for five minutes, and make sure you shake the pan on occasion until all of the mussels have opened. Any that have remained closed, discard.
5. Add the pasta and parsley to the pan. Toss through the mussels until everything is evenly covered. Using a ladle, gather the pasta and the juices into bowls. Serve immediately!

And there you have it! A simple and effective dish, that conjures up the sea, but oozes flavor. Enjoy with a glass of wine, or with friends, and you’ve got the sea in your kitchen!