Bucatini With Mussels Recipes

PASTA WITH CLAMS IN WHITE WINE GARLIC SAUCE

Steps:

• Boil pasta: Boil pasta in lightly salted water until al dente (slightly firm), about 8 minutes (or according to package instructions).
• Make white wine sauce: Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic cloves and cook 1-2 minutes, or until garlic gives off its strong aroma. Add white wine and cook until the liquid starts to boil, then add clams to the pan and sprinkle with red pepper flakes. Cook over medium heat until all of the clams open wide. If any clams do not open after 5-7 minutes, remove them to the trash.
• Add pasta and season: When pasta is done, reserve about 1/2 cup of pasta water and set aside. Then drain pasta and add to the pan with the clams and white whine sauce. Mix the pasta with the white wine and clams, adding a small amount of pasta water to the pan to help thicken the sauce. Cook 1-2 minutes and remove from heat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper (to taste), add fresh chopped parsley, and a squeeze of fresh lemon before serving.

BUCATINI WITH MUSSELS, CLAMS AND OVEN-DRIED TOMATOES

Steps:

• Debeard mussels. Soak mussels and clams in tap water for 5 minutes. Rinse and drain. Repeat 2 more times. Reserve.
• In a saute pan, heat the butter and garlic. Cook for 1 minute until glossy, do not brown.
• Over high heat, add mussels and clams. Deglaze with white wine and reduce by half. Add clam juice and bay leaf, cover, and steam until shellfish opens, about 3 minutes. Pull out shellfish and reserve. Remove the bay leaf and discard.
• Reduce the liquid by half, add tomatoes, cooked pasta, reserved shellfish, and parsley. Toss until well blended. Serve immediately.
• Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
• In a pot of boiling water, blanch tomatoes. Drain and refresh in ice water. Drain. Peel, core, cut into quarters, and remove seeds.
• Line a baking tray with parchment paper and arrange the tomato quarters on the tray, cut side down. Drizzle generously with olive oil. Sprinkle with thyme and garlic. In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper and sugar, and sprinkle evenly over the tomatoes.
• Bake until the tomatoes begin to shrivel, about 1 hour. When the tomatoes are cool enough to handle, transfer to a container. Pour olive oil over and cover the container. Refrigerate and use as needed.

BUCATINI WITH MUSSELS

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Pulse the bread, garlic and parsley in a food processor to form moist, green crumbs.
• Cook the bucatini in the boiling water as the label directs. Reserve 1/4 cup cooking water, then drain.
• Meanwhile, melt the butter in a wide pot over medium heat. Add the prosciutto and shallots and cook until the shallots are tender and beginning to brown, about 6 minutes. Add half of the breadcrumbs and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Add the wine and the reserved cooking water and cook, uncovered, until the liquid is almost completely reduced, about 2 minutes. Season with pepper.
• Add the mussels to the pot, cover and cook, shaking the pot occasionally, until the mussels open, about 6 minutes (discard any that do not open). Add the pasta and heat through, tossing to coat. Divide among bowls and top with the remaining breadcrumbs.