A couple of times of year, I have to explain that there are numerous “saganaki” dishes that go beyond the popular cheese saganaki.
A saganaki dish can be anything made in a “sagan” – the two handled vessel that’s it’s traditionally served in. Today we’re not using such a vessel but using inspiration from Mussels Saganaki. It’s a dish commonly found at seafood tavernas in northern Greece. Lot’s of local mussels up there.
The approach to this dish is similar to Shrimp Saganaki with tomatoes and Feta but rather than serving with bread – pasta is paired.
Looking for a break from meat – give mussels a go, they are inexpensive, easy to clean and cook and delicious!
Mussels Saganaki With Pasta
Course: AppetizersCuisine: GreekDifficulty: Easy4
servings20
minutes20
minutesIngredients
2lbs. fresh mussels, scrubbed and debearded
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 shot of Ouzo
3 cloves of garlic, minced
3 cups of grated ripe tomato (or good tomato sauce/puree)
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp chili flakes
1 cup crumbled Feta
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp. dried Greek oregano
300 gr. of spaghetti, spaghettini or linguine
Directions
- In a large pot, add water and bring to a boil. Season with salt and add your pasta and cook as per package instructions.
- Place a large skillet on your stovetop over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and wait for the oil to heat up. Add the mussels and ouzo and cover. Steam the mussels for about 5 minutes or until they have opened. Remove the mussels with a slotted spoon and reserve on a platter.
- In the same skillet, add your tomatoes, salt and chili flakes and bring up to a simmer and cook for 10-12 minutes or until most of the water has cooked off and you have a nice think sauce.
- Strain your pasta and add to the sauce and toss to combine. Add the mussels half the crumbled Feta and carefully toss to warm through.
- Divide and plate, top with remaining Feta and chopped parsley, oregano and serve.