Portuguese-Style Mussels Over Linguine - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1/2 lb linguica sausage, chorizo, keilbasa or 1/2 lb other hard sausage
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
4 -5 plum tomatoes, cored and roughly chopped
1/4 cup fresh basil, shredded or 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley leaves, plus some for garnish
1/2 cup water (do not use if using canned tomatoes)
3 lbs mussels, cleaned
1 1/2 lbs linguine

Preparation

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
Remove the skin from the sausage and chop into 1/4-1/2 inch pieces. Combine the olive oil and sausage into a large, deep pot over medium heat. Cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes.
When the sausage begins to brown, add the garlic.
Cook 1 or 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, then add the tomatoes and 1/4 cup basil.
Cook 1-2 minutes, stirring, until tomatoes are softened. Add the water if you are not using canned tomatoes. Stir, add the mussels, cover, and turn heat to high.
Salt the boiling water and cook the pasta until it is al dente.
Cook the mussels, shaking the pot occasionally until all the mussels are open, about 10 minutes.
Drain the pasta, place in a large serving bowl, and pour the mussels and sauce over the pasta.
Garnish and serve.