Ingredients for 2 servings of Cozze Marinara as appetizer:
1 pound fresh, cleaned mussels, 1 cup tomato sauce, 1/4 cup white wine, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 1/4 cup sliced fennel, 2 tablespoon olive oil, 1 seedless wedge lemon,
salt and pepper to taste.
Recipe: Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Add the garlic to the oil and fry for 30 sec. Add the mussels to the hot pan and toss them every 30 sec. or so, until most of the mussels are opened. Squeeze the lemon wedge and drop it in the pan, followed by the white wine and fennel. Cook for 1 minute and add the tomato sauce. Cover the pan with a lid and reduce slightly. Cook the mussels for 2-3 minutes more, after they open completely. Season to taste and remove any unopened mussels. Before serving the Mussels Marinara, do not forget to remove the used lemon wedge.
Cleaning instructions: Before cooking the mussels, wash them thoroughly in cold water, scrub the shells lightly and pull out the "beards" - the hairy growth that the mussels use to attach themselves to rocks.
