Pasta With Mussels And Hazelnut Pesto - cooking recipe

Ingredients

4 lbs mussels, scrubbed and debearded
3/4 cup dry white wine
12 oz tagliatelle or linguine pasta
1 cup basil leaves, plus extra for garnish
3/4 cup blanched hazelnuts or almonds
1 clove garlic, quartered
2 tbsp olive oil

Preparation

Discard any mussels with damaged or open shells. In a large saucepan, bring 1/2 cup water and the wine to a boil over medium-high heat. Season with salt and pepper and add the mussels. Cover and cook for about 8 mins until the mussels open.
Remove the mussels to a bowl using a slotted spoon; strain the cooking liquid and reserve. Discard any unopened mussels. Remove the mussels from their shells and reserve; discard the shells. Boil the reserved cooking liquid until reduced to about 1/4 cup.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the package directions. Combine the basil, hazelnuts, garlic, oil and reduced cooking liquid in a food processor and blend until smooth.
Transfer the hazelnut pesto to a large saucepan; add the mussels and warm through for 1-2 mins over medium heat, stirring constantly. Drain the pasta, add to the mussel mixture and toss to combine. Serve in warmed bowls, garnished with basil.