Mussels with Asparagus
Spane comes in and says “What are we having for dinner?” I said “Mussels” Spane looked at me questioningly, and started biting his arm, “That doesn’t taste good, Mom!” I laughed at his antics and explained I was talking about the mollusk, not parts of our bodies.
My market had a package of pre-cooked mussels when I went shopping, without Spane. Usually, I only want the ones that are in the shell, but they were on sale, so why not? I figured some butter and garlic would do them well.
The mussels we had are Californian mussels. Mussels are eaten all over the world, and there are about 17 different species of mussels that are edible, and I would eat them all. I love mussels. They can also be found frequently washed up on the beach, but I would not try to eat those – West Coast beaches are notoriously dirty. Mussels are also a favorite of starfish. The starfish wraps itself around the mussel and pries it open with its suckers. Peach isn’t is cute as she was in Nemo anymore, is she? Find out more about mussels on Wikipedia.
When I buy asparagus, I usually go for the thin stalks and not the big woody ones. I use the first 4 inches or so and cut off the rest. But, I don’t toss it. I put it in the freezer in my bag of vegetables that I’m saving for vegetable broth. It can also be used for asparagus soup. You would want to steam them and remove any tough strings.
Use whatever white wine you like. I usually have Chardonnay on hand, so that’s what I use. If you prefer another dry white wine, please use that. Enjoy a glass of wine with your dinner.
You can make a big salad to go with this and some garlic bread would go nicely, too. A light dessert would be just the ticket.
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Mussels with Asparagus
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Ingredients
- 1 lb mussels, precooked
- 3 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ¼ bunch asparagus
- ¼ lb Fettuccine
- 1 teaspoon unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons white wine
- ½ teaspoon corn starch
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated
- black pepper, Freshly ground
- parsley, few sprigs for garnish
Instructions
- Bring salted water to boil in a large pot.
- While that is happening, slice the garlic and cut the asparagus.
- Cut the asparagus in 2-inch length, you will have the tips, and some of the stalks, just not the chewy ends. You can save the chewy ends to make soup later.
- Put the pasta in the boiling water.
- In a large sauté pan, melt the butter, and sauté the garlic until it has turned translucent.
- Add the asparagus, and sauté, then reduce the heat, and cover until the asparagus is crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.
- Add the mussels, stir, and cover until they have warmed up about 3 minutes.
- Check the pasta, it should be done by now. Don't drain it, just turn the heat off.
- Add the wine to the pot, the corn starch, and more butter. Whisk this around, tipping the pan, until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.
- Drain the pasta, but put it back in its pan and mix it with the small amount of butter. Then, add that pasta to the mussel mixture. Add the Parmesan cheese, and toss to combine. Garnish with freshly ground black pepper and parsley.
Notes
You could add other seafood if you wish, just be careful about cooking times, and know that other fish cook faster or slower than the mussels.
After much thought and contemplation, Spane declared this dish “Very Good!”.