Tonight's Dinner: Pesto Mussels

Mussels are always a delicious choice when you're in the mood for shellfish. But if you're like me, you've shied away from them because they seem impossible to clean. Well, I'm here to tell you I was wrong. They're actually not hard to clean at all. And considering it only takes about five minutes for them to cook, I can't believe it's taken me this long to prepare them for dinner.

I was shocked at how easy it was to take the mussels from the store to the dinner table. I mean, all it took was a little scrubbing to get the shell spic and span, then I dropped them in some boiling wine and five minutes later, voila -- dinner was served. I'm not kidding, it's seriously that easy. So if you love mussels as much as I do, don't wait to order them at a restaurant, make them in your very own kitchen.

Pesto Mussels

Ingredients

• 1 (6-ounce) bag arugula
• 1/3 cup asiago cheese
• 1/4 cup garlic olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup white wine
• 2 pounds mussels, scrubbed

Directions

1. Place the arugula and asiago cheese in a food processor and pulse until combined. With the processor running, slowly pour the oil down the processor flute and mix until blended. Mix in salt and pepper. Transfer pesto to bowl and set aside.
2. Boil wine in a large pot. Add the mussels and simmer, covered for about five minutes, or until they're open. Using a slotted spoon, transfer mussels to four bowls.
3. Mix 1/2 cup pesto into the cooking liquid, ladle over the mussels and serve.

>>More Tonight's Dinner Recipes

Other Mussel Recipes from She Knows

Deluxe mussels

Mussels with white bean stew

Steamed mussels in curry marinara sauce