Serves6
- Active time:20 min
- Start to finish:30 min
July 2009
Cook your mussels in one pot with garlic, fennel seeds, and white wine while your linguine cooks in another pot. Combine the two and then toss them with your favorite herbs from the garden and some grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. Now make believe you’re vacationing on the Italian coast.
-
1/4
cup
extra-virgin olive oil
-
2
tablespoons
unsalted butter
-
4
large garlic cloves, sliced
-
1
teaspoon
fennel seeds
-
1/4
teaspoon
hot red pepper flakes
-
1
cup
dry white wine
-
2
lb
cultivated mussels, scrubbed
-
1
lb
thin linguine
-
1/2
cup
grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
-
1 1/2
cups
chopped herbs such as basil, dill, flat-leaf parsley, and oregano
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Heat oil and butter in a 5- to 6-qt heavy pot over medium heat until foam subsides. Cook garlic, fennel seeds, and red pepper flakes with 1/4 tsp each of salt and pepper, stirring, until garlic is softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add wine and boil until reduced by half, 4 to 5 minutes. Add mussels and cook, covered, shaking pot occasionally, just until mussels open wide, 5 to 8 minutes. (Discard any that remain unopened after 8 minutes.) Remove from heat and keep warm.
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Meanwhile, cook linguine in a pasta pot of well-salted boiling water until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, then drain linguine.
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Toss linguine with mussels and any liquid from pot, cheese, and herbs. Thin with reserved cooking water if desired.
