Spaghetti with Mussels: Tarantina
Recipe courtesy Mario Batali 


 Recipe Summary 
 Prep Time: 30 minutes  Cook Time: 30 minutes 
 Yield: 4 servings    
3 1/4 pounds mussels, well cleaned 
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 
1 medium red onion 
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced 
1 tablespoon crushed hot chili pepper or pepperoncino 
Salt and freshly ground black pepper 
1 pound dried spaghetti 
1/2 bunch fresh parsley, finely chopped

Place the cleaned mussels, still in their shells, in a large saucepan 
over high heat. Cover and let cook until the mussels open up and 
release their juices, about 3 minutes. Drain, reserving all of the 
strained mussel liquid. 
Cut the onion in half through the root and slice each half into 
half moons, each 1/8 of an inch thick. In a 2-quart saucepan, 
heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, hot chili 
pepper and the onions, cooking until soft and golden brown,
 about 8 to10 minutes. 

While the garlic, hot pepper and onions cook, remove the 
mussels from their shells and discard the shells. You can
also begin to prepare the spaghetti by bringing a large pot 
filled with 6 quarts of water to a boil. When the water boils, 
add 2 tablespoons of salt and your spaghetti.
Cook the spaghetti according to the package directions,
 until it is tender but still al dente. 
Drain the pasta before adding to the mussel mixture.
 Add the mussels to the saucepan, and season to taste 
with salt and pepper. Add the reserved mussel juices.
 Raise the heat to high and allow the mussel mixture
 to boil for almost 10 to 15 minutes. 
Remove the pan from the heat, add the chopped parsley, 
a pinch of hot chili pepper and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. 
Toss the mussel sauce with the cooked spaghetti.