Roasted Mussels with Pancetta + Olives

Every week, Caroline Wright creates simple, civilized recipes for Food52 that feed four -- for under $20, in under 20 minutes.

Today: Sometimes, weeknight dinners want to get messy.

Mussels are a simple fix for a weeknight dinner -- they’re a little messy and are best served with a chilled glass of something festive. I’ve touted the simplicity of steamed mussels in a heavy pot (a few of you might have seen a spread in my cookbook on the very subject), but roasting them is perhaps even easier. The result is similar -- messy hands, brine-soaked bread -- but the oven method felt particularly festive for fall. 

Roasted Mussels, Pancetta + Olives  

2 pounds mussels, scrubbed clean
1 (4-ounce) piece pancetta, about 1/2-inch thick, diced
1/2 cup whole olives
?1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes
?1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons olive oil?
4 country bread slices
1/2 teaspoon red-wine vinegar

See the full recipe (and save and print it) here.

As a freelance food writer and cook, I first wrote this style of recipe as a column on my blog, The Wright Recipes, as an excuse to cook good food for my friends in a quick and simple way. 

Twenty-Dollar, Twenty-Minute™ Meals grew into a cookbook that was published by Workman in May 2013. The recipes found here are original, made especially for Food52 to once again celebrate simple food with friends.

Photo by Caroline Wright