Bistro Style Oven Roasted Mussels

Crank oven to 500

Ingredients

• 2 pounds fresh mussels in the shell, or clams.
• 4 cloves garlic chopped
• 1/2 cup parsley chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup white wine
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 C kalamata olives
• 1/2 C diced linguica sausage, or any cooked sausage you prefer.
• Four chopped Roma tomatoes
• 2T worchestershire

Option:

• Omit Roma tomatoes for a white sauce.
• Frites as an accompaniment.

Process

Scrub mussels with cold running water and remove any beards.

Put mussels and remaining ingredients in a pot, or a sheet pan with a lip, or wide baking dish and cover with lid or foil, so there’s a tight fit.

Put in hot oven for 20 minutes or 1/2 hour until shells open up.

Finish

Carefully remove from oven and remove foil, being aware of the steam. Transfer cooked mussels in their shells to a shallow bowl. Tilt pan enough so that you can spoon the sauce up and pour over the mussels in the bowl and serve.

Keep a small plate or bowl beside each person at the table for used shells.

Options

I served these with frites or french fries, but a loaf of crusty bread is a simple, practical and delicious accompaniment, and good for sopping up the sauce.

This recipe is fun to improvise with. Try other combinations of flavors that you might like. Some options could be:

Orange Fennel and Basil

• Omit linguica and olives

• 1 T orange zest
• 2 C thinly sliced or diced fennel
• 1/4 C chopped, fresh basil
• 2 T chopped, fresh mint

Classic

Omit tomatoes, linguica and olives.

Greek Inspired

• 1/2 C ouzo.
• 2 T fresh, chopped oregano
• 1/2 C diced, Greek loukaniko sausage
• Garnish with crumbled feta cheese over top.

German Inspired

• Omit tomatoes, olives, wine and linguica.
• 1 C beer
• 1/2 C diced bratwurst or other german sausage
• 2 T spicy mustard
• Garnish with fresh, thinly sliced scallion.
• Serve with spätzle on the side. Shell all the mussels, and add warm spätzle to the bowl.

Fresh pappardelle, fennel sausage, spinach, kalamata, garlic, olive oil

Ingredients

• 1 # sausage, crumbled
• 1/2 red onion, minced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 C chicken stock
• 4 C fresh baby spinach
• 1/4 C of kalamata olives
• 2# fresh Paparadelle Pasta
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 3 T extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 C grated romano cheese
• 1/4 C butter
• pinch of red pepper flakes

Make Sauce

• In a saucepan, saute sausage until cooked through.
• add minced onion and saute until wilted, 2 minutes.
• add garlic and saute until fragrant, 2 minutes.
• add red pepper flakes, olives, salt, pepper and chicken stock, and bring to a simmer.
• add spinach and toss until wilted.
• taste and adjust seasoning to your liking.
• turn off heat and set aside.

Bring Together

• Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and add fresh pasta and cook until al dente or according to directions.
• Drain pasta and in same pot, add butter and oil.
• Put drained pasta back in pot with butter and oil and pour saucepan of sausage sauce over pasta. Sprinkle with romano and cover pot for 2 minutes, until butter and cheese is melted.
• Remove lid and toss thoroughly but gently until pasta is coated with sauce.

Finish

Using tongs, drape pasta into warmed bowls, spooning extra sauce over top. Generously sprinkle with grated romano and serve.