Lemon-Herb Pasta with Mussels

Happy Friday y'all!

Hope you guys have an amazing weekend ahead! Today I wanna share a quick and simple recipe that comes together in under 30 minutes. It is light, fragrant and delicious 🍋 🌿 🐚

Ingredients

for two persons

• a handful of parsley (chopped) + extra for serving;
• 1 lb mussels (cleaned and debearded);
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice;
• 1 shallot (diced);
• 1 tbs. olive oil;
• 1 tbs. butter;
• 2 cloves garlic (sliced);
• 1/2 cup dry white wine;
• 6 oz your favorite pasta;
• 6 cherry tomatoes (halved);
• a few basil leaves for serving;
• salt and pepper to taste.

Directions

1. Cook pasta according to the package instructions.

2. Heat oil and butter in a cast iron skillet (or a non-stick pan) over medium heat. Add in diced shallot, cook until it's translucent, then add sliced garlic, chopped parsley and halved cherry tomatoes, cook for a couple minutes or until garlic is fragrant. Salt and pepper. Then add wine, bring to a boil.

3. Add in the mussels, carefully coat in sauce and cook with a lid on for about 10 minutes (or until all of them are opened), shake the skillet a couple times during that time to ensure they don't burn. Discard any that didn't open.

4. Add pasta to the pan, drizzle with lemon juice and lightly toss the pan. You can additionally drizzle some extra olive oil or add in some unsalted butter for extra flavor if you wish.
   Sprinkle the remaining parsley and basil leaves on top. Serve immediately and enjoy!

_{artwork by kookyan}