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1
Place the cleaned mussels, still in their shells, in a large saucepan over high heat.
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2
Cover and let cook until the mussels open up and release their juices, about 3 minutes.
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3
Drain, reserving all of the strained mussel liquid.
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4
Cut the onion in half through the root and slice each half into half moons, each 1/8 of an inch thick.
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5
In a 2-quart saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
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6
Add the garlic, hot chili pepper and the onions, cooking until soft and golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes.
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7
While the garlic, hot pepper and onions cook, remove the mussels from their shells and discard the shells.
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8
You can also begin to prepare the spaghetti by bringing a large pot filled with 6 quarts of water to a boil.
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9
When the water boils, add 2 tablespoons of salt and your spaghetti.
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10
Cook the spaghetti according to the package directions, until it is tender but still al dente.
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11
Drain the pasta before adding to the mussel mixture.
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12
Add the mussels to the saucepan, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
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13
Add the reserved mussel juices.
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14
Raise the heat to high and allow the mussel mixture to boil for almost 10 to 15 minutes.
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15
Remove the pan from the heat, add the chopped parsley, a pinch of hot chili pepper and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.
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16
Toss the mussel sauce with the cooked spaghetti.
