Even though I cook through the week, it’s our weekends that I look forward to the most. Whether we are entertaining or it’s just the two of us, I like to plan a nice meal. And when I say nice, it doesn’t mean a long time in the kitchen…just a few key quality ingredients.
Ingredients
1 lb. Nova Scotia mussels, rinsed under cold tap water
2 fennel sausages
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
splash of olive oil
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
14 oz. can chopped Italian tomatoes
½ teaspoon chili pepper flakes
1 cup of canned cannellini beans (rinsed and drained)
1 cup white wine
large handful Italian parsley, roughly chopped
Instructions
In a large pot heat olive oil over medium heat. Squeeze sausage meat out of casing and add to the pot. Cook until no longer pink.
Add garlic and stir to combine. Toss in fennel seeds with chili pepper flakes and stir. Allow fennel seeds to become fragrant then add wine and let cook 5 minutes before adding the tomatoes. Simmer 10 to 15 minutes.
Add cannellini beans (aka white kidney beans) and turn heat up. Place mussels on top, cover, and cook 5 or 6 minutes until the shells open. Spoon mussels into large bowls topped with parsley and toasted bread. Drizzle your best extra-virgin olive oil over and serve. Bellissimo!
Notes
The Culinary Chase’s Note: Scrub the ‘beards’ off the mussels shortly before cooking them. Discard any shells that don’t open after cooking. If you can’t find fennel sausages use ground pork and add more fennel seeds. Enjoy!
Recipe by The Culinary Chase at https://theculinarychase.com/2015/05/nova-scotia-mussels-italian-style/