Vermouth Mussels with Spaghetti
The perfect adieu to al fresco dining. With simple, authentic flavors, this dinner might just be my new end of summer staple.
As the season of al fresco dining slowly begins to slip from our grip, the lingering golden hour moments and the summertime dinners are met with a twinge of urgency. A need to fit in just a few more nights on the patio, to savor the last juicy bites of sun ripened fruits, to pour chilled wine into glasses flecked with condensation from the evening heat. Summer is slowly becoming a memory, one filled with laughter and adventure and salty skin, and I am not quite ready to let go. Before we slip into autumn, there is a sliver of time to create a bit more summertime magic. A time when the evenings are inviting and the lighting is perfect. I love the seasonal in-betweens. It is a time when anything feels possible, you are suspended within these warm summer memories yet looking towards fall. There is excitement and wonder for the days ahead and still the crescendo of summer is signing. For me, it is the best of both worlds.
The perfect adieu to the days of al fresco dining.
As the promise of garden feasting is coming to an end, it seems only right to take advantage of every outdoor dining opportunity while it still exists. For this last minute mini dinner for two, my friend and neighbor, Chef Amber Sullivan and I wanted to indulge in a little seafood pasta craving. She would cook, I would style, it would be delicious. And we were right. I am still thinking about this dish with the herbaceous quality of vermouth saturating the briny mussels, nestled into spaghetti with a perfect tomato-y sauce that boasts a tiny kick of spice, it was absolutely perfection. Wonderfully simple, with flavors that allowed the mussels to absolutely shine, this nearly one pot dish is a masterpiece to pair with the final evenings of summer. Light, flavorful and basically perfect in every way, it might just be my new favorite summertime staple. Xx
Vermouth mussels with spaghetti
Chilled red wine
Farmers market grapes for cute munching
Gelato from the neighborhood spot
Vermouth Mussels with Spaghetti
Recipe
Serves 2-3 people.
1 pound mussels (rinsed and cleaned of debris)
2 hearty servings of gluten free or regular spaghetti cooked very al dente
1 cup reserved pasta water
½ cup white vermouth
⅓ cup heavy cream
1-2 tablespoons of Calabrian chili (adjust for personal taste)
1 shallot, minced
2 tablespoons good quality extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon tomato paste
⅓ cup diced tomatoes
Fresh basil
Method
Follow along with the reel for a complete breakdown of this delicious dinner.
