Simmered Creamy Mussels and Linguine

So in addition to baking, I have a general love of cooking non pastry things and as I and the hubby have recently given up red meat, I've really been struggling trying to come up with new and interesting ways to prepare the meats that we do eat (chicken and seafood). I've also tried to expand our horizons as far as different fishies go as well. We're very familiar with catfish, tilapia and salmon but after a while, even those fish get boring. So this past weekend, I raided the Sustainable Foods section that my local Kroger has and walked away with tons of goodies! I'm super excited to prepare these new fishies. However, today I made something out of these mussels that hubby purchased from my local farmers' market. I must admit I was a tad upset when he picked up the package of mussel meat because I wanted mussels in the shell so I could steam them and make a sexy dish. His man logic told him that he was doing me a favor, saving me from having to wrestle with the shells and whatnot....so I calmed down. I mean I appreciated the sentiment and the thought process there. But that still left me confused as to what the heck I was gonna do with them. So I hopped online and did a little research and found a great recipe from All Fish Seafood Recipes.

12       oz. mussel meat

¼         cup white wine

1          tsp. saffron threads(you can get these from Publix)

1          tbsp. chopped garlic

1 ½     cups heavy cream

1          cup diced tomatoes

            salt and pepper to taste

1          tbsp. chopped parsley

            linguine
            Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the linguine and cook the pasta to al dente according to the package instructions. 

In a medium saucepan, simmer the wine, saffron threads and garlic for 5 minutes.

Add the heavy cream and allow the mixture to continue simmering until the sauce has reduced and become slightly thick.

Add the tomatoes, mussel meat and the salt and pepper to taste and heat the sauce through.

At this point, the pasta should be ready. Drain the pasta but DO NOT rinse it. Pour the pasta into a serving bowl.

Ladle the sauce over the pasta, give it a quick toss and top with the parsley and Parmesan cheese.

Now you are ready to eat!

*this recipe serves 4 people*

Enjoy!

-DJ