Author Notes
A girlfriend and I used to work together (over 20 years ago!) and go to a restaurant on Rt. 1 in Norwood MA called Franco's for lunch. They had the very best breadsticks which we decadently dipped in butter and ate while waiting for our lunch. We did this every other week for a few years! Our lunch every time was mussels marinara served over angel hair and it was divine. I still make my own version to this day. - kristy49 —kristy49
Test Kitchen Notes
This dish is close enough to an old-school mussels marinara to take me back to my earlier years in New York and Boston, but it also has a few delicious twists to keep it current. The pinch of cinnamon is a nice touch and my daughter even commented on the lovely citrus flavor—kristy49 uses both orange zest and lemon juice. We dug in to the beautifully arranged bowls with gusto, slurping the tasty sauce out of the mussel shells. We enjoyed this meal and will make it again! —healthierkitchen
Ingredients
-
3 pounds
bag of mussels
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4
garlic cloves, minced fine
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1 tablespoon
orange zest
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1 tablespoon
lemon juice
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1 cup
white dry wine (pinot grigio)
-
1/4 cup
olive oil
-
1 pinch
cinnamon
-
1
small onion, minced
-
1
stalk celery minced
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1 cup
canned whole tomatoes, crushed by hand (or minced fresh from the garden)
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1 tablespoon
tomato paste
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1 sprig
oregano
-
1 pinch
sea salt
-
1 pinch
ground black pepper
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1 pinch
cruched red pepper(optional)
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2 cups
cooked al dente angel hair, drained
-
2 tablespoons
butter
-
1/4 cup
parmesan cheese, freshly grated)
Directions
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Rinse, trim beards if any, and scrub mussels under cold running water, disgarding any broken shells.
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Add 1/8 cup olive oil to large pot and saute onion, celery, garlic until limp, then add zest, lemon juice, wine, cinnamon, tomatoes, oregano, paste, sea salt & pepper, red pepper if desired, and bring to a boil.
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Add mussels and steam until all are opened about 10-12 minutes max.
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Place 1 cup cooked angel hair in each serving bowl, and top with 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon grated cheese.
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Scoop mussels and broth on top and surrounding pasta, drizzle remainder of olive oil and top with rest of grated cheese.
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Top with drizzle of olive oil and remaining grated cheese, and serve with crusty bread for dipping into the broth.
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