Pasta con Cozze

Inspired by my friend's recent post in FB for what he had for lunch recently, which was a Tutto Mare Pasta (all seafood), I prepared for our brunch today a pasta very typical of Rome, Italy, called "Pasta con Cozze."  Cozze is the Italian word for mussels or tahong in Tagalog.

Today, I would like to share with you the very simple recipe of the Pasta con Cozze which became one of our favorites when we were still leaving in Rome 7 years ago.  

Ingredients:

1 kilo of washed and cleaned mussels

3 cloves garlic, chopped

2 chili pepper, sliced  (optional, only when you like the pasta to be a little spicy)

4 tbsps of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

1/2 cup white wine

1/2 cup of chopped parsley leaves

300 grams of Linguini, cooked "al dente"

wedges of lemon (optional)

Procedure:

1) Boil water. When boiling, add about 1 1/2 - 2 tbsps of rock salt, then add the pasta. Cook pasta according to time indicated in the package, don't go beyond. Cook "al dente."  Drain in a collander and set aside.

2) In a deep wide pan, put the EVOO and sauté the garlic until light brown, (optional: add the chili slices, stir for a while then remove), then add the mussels and stir well.  Add the white wine.  Let boil for a while, uncovered.  Then, spoon all the mussels in a bowl.  Set aside. Stir in the cooked linguini and mix well. Then, add the chopped parsley.  Mix well again.

3) Transfer the pasta to a serving platter and put on top of it all the mussels.  Sprinkle with EVOO.

4) Serve with wedges of lemons (optional).

Enjoy!

*Al dente means cooking the pasta just firm to the bite, not soft.