Mussels Alla Marinara - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 lbs of larger mussels, if possible
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed and chopped
1 large carrot, very finely diced
1 cup dry white wine
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon of chopped parsley (Italian)

Preparation

Melt butter in a frying pan, add the veggies and cook at medium for about 5 minutes. Don't let them take too much color.
Add wine, bay leaf, thyme, salt, pepper, diced tomatoes, and tomatoes paste; bring to a boil and let cook another 5 minutes.
(All this could be prepared ahead of time and brought back to a boil at meal time).
Clean the mussels.
Those you find open knock it against another.
If it does not close by itself discard it--it's dead.
Same with those that didn't open after cooking.
Now add the mussels to the boiling sauce; cover and cook 4 minutes.
Serve 12 mussels per person.
Pour sauce over it. Sprinkle parsley. (Serve with good French or Italian bread). Better if you warm your plates ahead of time in oven 180\u00b0F.
Don't forget an empty dish at the center of table for the discarded shells.