Ingredients
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8 ounces whole-wheat linguine or spaghetti
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¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
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2 large cloves garlic, chopped
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1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes with basil
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Big pinch of saffron threads, soaked in 2 tablespoons water or white wine
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2 pounds mussels, cleaned (see Tips)
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¾ cup dry white wine
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Big pinch of crushed red pepper
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¼ teaspoon salt
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Freshly ground pepper to taste
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¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
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1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
Directions
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Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and transfer to a large serving bowl. Cover to keep warm.
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Meanwhile, heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until it just begins to color, 2 to 3 minutes. Carefully add crushed tomatoes and saffron with soaking liquid (the mixture may splatter) and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring frequently, until thickened slightly, about 5 minutes.
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Meanwhile, bring mussels and wine to a boil in a Dutch oven (or other large pot) over high heat. Cover, reduce heat to medium and cook until the mussels open, 4 to 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the mussels to a large bowl. (Discard any unopened mussels.)
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Strain the mussel broth through a fine-mesh sieve into the tomato sauce. Stir in crushed red pepper and simmer over medium heat for 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle about half the sauce over the pasta and toss to coat. Divide the pasta among 4 pasta bowls, top with mussels and spoon the remaining sauce over the mussels. Serve topped with parsley and lemon zest.
