Red lentil pasta with mussels and cherry tomatoes

Ingredients

For 1 serving

• Red lentil pasta70 g
• Mussels600 g
• Cherry tomatoes120 g
• Garlic1 clove
• Extra virgin olive oil1 teaspoon
• White wine30 ml
• Parsleyto taste
• Black pepperto taste
• Saltto taste

Contains: shellfish, sulphites,

In season: May – September

Method

1. Clean the mussels: pull off the beard, scrape the shells with a small knife and rinse; discard any that are broken or stay open when tapped.
2. Put them in a wide frying pan with the white wine, cover and heat over high heat for 3–5 minutes, shaking, until they open; discard any that stay closed, shell them and strain the liquid through a sieve lined with kitchen paper.
3. Bring a pan of water to the boil for the pasta and salt it lightly, as the mussels are salty; wash the cherry tomatoes and halve them; chop the parsley.
4. In the frying pan heat the olive oil over medium heat with the crushed garlic for a minute, add the tomatoes and the mussel liquid and cook for 5 minutes, until the tomatoes soften and the sauce reduces; remove the garlic.
5. Meanwhile add the red lentil pasta to the water and cook for the time on the packet, usually 6–8 minutes, until al dente; drain gently.
6. Add the pasta and shelled mussels to the sauce, stir for a minute over medium heat and finish with the parsley and black pepper.