Mussels are one of my favorite shellfish, so I tend to use them a lot. Plus, they’re fairly inexpensive and don’t take long to cook. Here they star in a quick and flavorful pasta with some best-of-the-west cherry tomatoes, white wine and lemon. An easy topping of cashew and Calabrian chile adds a hit of richness, texture and spice.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 40 min |
| Active: | 20 min |
| Yield: | 4 to 6 servings |
Ingredients
- 12 ounces heirloom cherry tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound linguine
- 2 pounds black mussels
- 1/2 cup white wine
- Cashew-Chile Pesto, recipe follows
- 1 to 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
- 1 cup toasted cashews
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 2 ounces grated Parmesan (about 1/2 cup)
- 2 ounces crushed Calabrian chiles
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped sun-dried tomato in oil
- 3 cloves garlic
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- For the confit tomatoes: Combine the tomatoes, garlic, thyme, 1/4 cup of the olive oil and salt and pepper to taste in a stainless steel pan or baking dish. Roast until the tomatoes are tender and starting to burst, 15 to 20 minutes. Reserve for later use at room temperature.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil, add the linguine and cook until very al dente. Drain and set aside.
- To finish the dish: Warm a large saucepot over high heat. Once very hot, add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and the mussels. Stir gently and add the wine. Cover with a lid and cook until the mussels begin to open, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in about half of the Cashew-Chile Pesto, then add the linguine. Stir to warm and coat the pasta with the pan sauce, adding more of the pesto as needed. Finish with the butter, lemon zest and juice, confit tomatoes and parsley. Season with salt if needed and serve in shallow pasta bowls.
- Add the cashews, olive oil, Parmesan, chiles, lemon zest and juice, sun-dried tomato, garlic and salt and pepper to taste to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped and combined.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 946 |
| Total Fat | 53 g |
| Saturated Fat | 11 g |
| Carbohydrates | 79 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 6 g |
| Sugar | 6 g |
| Protein | 38 g |
| Cholesterol | 58 mg |
| Sodium | 978 mg |