Spaghetti with mussels, parsley and lemon

If you put your ear close (but not too close) to a covered pan of mussels, olive oil, garlic and a bit of white wine over a lively heat, you will hear a sound like a crack, a rip or an unzipping as the shells open. At first it is intermittent, so lift the lid to check; if only a few are open, put the lid back on and shake the pan until, like popcorn, the mussels open.

Get the lid off, lift the mussels out and admire the liquor: taste it for salt and measure about 200ml, pouring some away, reducing it or adding water to reach the right proportion and seasoning. Spaghetti or linguine benefits from finishing its cooking in the sauce: the pasta absorbs and becomes completely coated, the sauce gains shine and the starch from the pasta slightly thickens it.

A wide pan with sloping sides, a wok or a pan with a wide base gives you space to swish and swirl the pasta with the plentiful mussel liquor.

spaghetti, mussels, parsley, lemon, olive oil, garlic, white wine, linguine, mussel liquor, pasta