There is nothing quite like eating spaghetti with mussels by the sea. The town of Rocella Jonica in Calabria is situated on the coast so the nonni have the best recipes for making this easy and delicious dish. Check out our Nonna Marisa’s recipe: 

Ingredients: (family of 6) 

5kg of fresh mussels 
2kg of Datterini Tomato (or Roma) 
1 hand full of parsley
4 cloves of garlic
fresh chilli from the garden! 
1 tbspn of Extra Virgin Olive Oil 
2 packets of 100% Durum wheat spaghetti 

Method:
Clean shells of mussels well removing small hairs on the corner right side of the closed shells.
1.5kg of Mussels can be used as a ‘Pepata di cozze’ this is cooked mussels with out past to serve on the table incase any one feels like eating more! The Pepata is made by throwing cleaned mussels in to a pot with chopped up fresh tomato, parsley, garlic, chilli and EVO leave on heat for 10minutes and serve. 

With the rest of the mussels add to a pot close lid and leave on heat until mussels open (around 10minutes). Saute in pan with EVO chopped up parsley and tomato and garlic cloves (left whole). Leave at a minimum heat to simmer. 
Once mussels have opened remove the mussels and add the to pan with rest of ingredients. Leave to cook for another 15minutes.  
Boil spaghetti in large pot with two tbspns of Coarse Salt. Add cooked spaghetti (remove 2minutes before required time) to pan and mix all ingredients together.  Serve with a glass of crisp white wine. Seeing as we are in Calabria we will serve the local white wine called Scavigna from the Cantina Odoardi