-
1
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook the pasta and drain. Combine the butter and red pepper flakes and stir until the butter has melted and the pepper flakes are thoroughly mixed in.
-
2
While the pasta is cooking, prepare the mussels. Once the mussels have been thoroughly cleaned, remove and discard any shells that are open or broken and that do not close when tapped.
-
3
Mussels only need to be steamed in a tiny amount of liquid, due to the fact that when they open up during cooking, they release their own liquid, which makes a tasty broth or sauce. If there is too much liquid, the flavour of the mussels' own liquid will be diluted and completely lost. Take care when seasoning the broth, as the liquid from the mussels is quite salty and does not need too much more salt.
-
4
Combine the pesto and wine in a large saute pan and bring to a boil. Add the mussels and cover.
-
5
Cook on a high heat and bring the liquid to the boil.
-
6
When steam is released from the sides of the pan, reduce the heat and simmer the mussels until they begin to open. This should take about 5 minutes. During cooking, shake the bottom of the pan, so that the mussels are redistributed and cook evenly.
-
7
After several minutes, keep an eye on the mussels and try to remove each mussel as it opens. This can be a tedious task but will be well worth it, as each mussel will be cooked just right.
-
8
Distribute the pasta between the two bowls and add the mussels (I prefer to remove mine from the shell before adding them to the pasta) and then spoon the sauce over top.
-
9
Enjoy!
