by hardlikearmour
View
my 112 recipes »
Photo by hardlikearmour
Burnt Offerings's Testing Notes:
Expand Collapsehardlikearmour's Notes:
Expand1/4 cup coarsely chopped flat leaf parsley leaves Ask a question about this ingredient
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh mint leaves Ask a question about this ingredient
1/4 preserved lemon, rinsed, pulp removed and reserved, peel coarsely chopped Ask a question about this ingredient
2 medium cloves garlic, minced Ask a question about this ingredient
Combine all ingredients on cutting board, and finely chop, making sure everything is well mixed. Transfer to small bowl and set aside.
Ask a question about this step8 ounces dried linguine Ask a question about this ingredient
salt Ask a question about this ingredient
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil Ask a question about this ingredient
1 & 1/2 cup Sauvingnon blanc Ask a question about this ingredient
2 medium cippolini onions, halved then thinly sliced Ask a question about this ingredient
3 medium cloves garlic Ask a question about this ingredient
1 bay leaf Ask a question about this ingredient
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes Ask a question about this ingredient
1.5 to 2 pounds fresh mussels, debearded and scrubbed Ask a question about this ingredient
1/2 cup heavy cream Ask a question about this ingredient
2 tablespoons crème fraiche or sour cream Ask a question about this ingredient
1/2 to 1 tablespoon dijon mustard Ask a question about this ingredient
1/4 preserved lemon, rinsed and diced Ask a question about this ingredient
reserved lemon pulp from gremolata, diced Ask a question about this ingredient
Boil pasta to al dente as directed on package, making sure to salt pasta water well. Drain pasta and return to pot with olive oil, tossing to coat. Keep covered to preserve warmth.
Ask a question about this stepProceed with remaining steps while pasta water is heating. In a large pot bring wine, onions, garlic, bay leaf and red pepper flakes to a simmer over medium heat, then simmer for 4 to 5 minutes to allow onions to soften and flavors to meld. Turn heat up to medium-high and add mussels to pot. Cover and steam until mussels are opened, stirring once or twice. This should take 4 to 8 minutes depending on size of mussels. Once mussels have opened remove them to a bowl and set them aside. Discard any that have not opened.
Ask a question about this stepReduce the cooking liquid to about 1/2 to 2/3 cup. Add cream, crème fraiche, and dijon mustard. Cook until mixture has thickened a bit, 2 to 4 minutes. Stir in preserved lemon, pulp, and white pepper to taste. Add salt if needed. If pasta is not done turn down to low heat until pasta is ready. Return mussels to pan briefly to reheat.
Ask a question about this stepDivide noodles into serving bowls. Pile mussels over noodles. Pour sauce over noodles, making sure to divide onions evenly. Sprinkle each serving with a generous helping of gremolata. Serve immediately.
Ask a question about this stepThanks for the great review! The sumac is a brilliant addition. Glad you enjoyed.
I volunteered to test drive this recipe. I have a jar of preserved lemons just waiting to get used! Will make it Monday night after the Super Bowl party on Sunday.
Thanks, sagegreen! It's no where near as pretty as your black and white and green all over, though.
This is the recipe for mussels with pasta that I've been looking for - thumbs up!
Wow, thanks Liz!
This looks and sounds amazing, hardlikearmour! I am saving this and hope to try this soon.
Thanks, gingerroot! If you try it, let me know how you like it.
Looks delicious! I would try the mussels one night on their own.
Thanks. Just make sure you have something to sop up the sauce!
Thank you! My husband and I ate an entire batch last night.
This is from your friendly editors at Food52.
I didn't get around to making this it till Tuesday night because of Super Bowl party hosting and work issues...
This was great! I happened to have a jar of preserved lemons on hand that I had gotten at a Middle Eastern market for another dish, so that really helped. My preserved lemons come with some sort of herb in them that isn't identified on the jar, and I don't read Arabic, but it gives the preserved lemons just a hint of a floral note that is really nice. I believe you could make this dish just as easily with some good lemon zest and juice, but the preserved lemons give it a more mellow, briny flavor that compliments the brininess of the mussels.
I didn't have cippolini onions, so I used one sweet onion instead of the two called for in the recipe - works fine, and the strings of onions were nice to have. I also used a Pinot Grigio instead of a Sauvignon Blanc. Because I had some, and because it compliments the lemony flavor, I also added a 1/4 tsp of Sumac to the gremolata and that really brightened it up - especially with the mint, and made the dish a little more Middle Eastern. Lastly, I used half and half and sour cream instead of heavy cream and creme fraiche because that's what I had on hand, so I allowed it to reduce a little more to make sure it coated the pasta and mussels.
This dish comes together in a flash. Hardlikearmor is absolutely right - cook the mussels while the water is coming to a boil, and cook the pasta while the sauce is reducing, and....bingo - you have dinner on the table in less than 1/2 an hour. We ate it with a simple green salad with a lemon dijon vinaigrette with a little chopped preserved lemon thrown in, and some nice baked pita bread with homemade z'atar seasoning.
Lots of nice bright flavors mellowed by the sweetness of the onions and cream sauce, while still having a nice tartness to it and a little heat. Wine for this dish should definitely be bright and citrusy. Any good, crisp, dry white would do, but a Viognier is the way to go here for sure. Will definitely make again.