Creamy Mussels Pasta Tagliatelle

Ingredients

• 400-500 gram pasta (preferably Tagliatele) - معكرونة
• 500 gram mussels - بلح البحر
• 1 cup cooking cream - كريم الطهي
• 2 tablespoon olive oil - زيت زيتون
• 1 small onion (finely chopped) - بصلة
• 3-4 garlic clove (minced) - فص ثوم
• 2 stem celery (chopped) - كرفس افرنجي
• 2 handful basil (hand-torn) - ريحان
• 2 tablespoon pine nuts (toasted) - صنوبر
• salt and pepper - ملح و فلفل
• arugula (largely chopped - optional for garnish) - جرجير

Step by step

1. In a large pan, heat the olive oil and add chopped onions, garlic and celery.
2. When the mix starts to soften (before it turns golden), add the cream and a generous dash of salt and pepper.
3. As the cream starts sizzling, add the thoroughly washed mussels and cover the pan. The mussels should cook for 5 minutes before you add the pasta.
4. Boil the pasta in large pot. When the pasta is almost cooked (al-dente), transfer it to the mussels pan, allowing only about a ladle of pasta water through. Let the mix reduce while you stir in and mix the pasta with the mussels (about 2 minutes).
5. Tear the basil leaves and add them at the end of the cooking process (basil added earlier might turn bitter when overcooked.)
6. Serve in a semi-bowl and scatter the toasted pine nuts on top and garnish with some more basil and arugula.