PASTA AND MUSSELS IN FRA DIAVOLO SAUCE

PASTA AND MUSSELS IN FRA DIAVOLO SAUCE image

Categories Pasta

Number Of Ingredients 21

1 lb pasta
Mussels:
2-3 lbs mussels
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp garlic
1/2 cup white wine
Sauce:
3 (15-ounce) cans diced tomatoes in juice (one or 2 can be fire roasted tomatoes)
6 tablespoons olive oil
2 bay leaves
2-4 cloves garlic, to taste
1/2 or 1 onion diced
1/2 medium carrot, finely diced
1 stalk celery, finely diced
2 teaspoons dried oregano
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup white wine
1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
2 (8-ounce) bottles clam juice or 1 15 ounce can of BumbleBee Italian Style White Clam Sauce

Steps:

Sauce: In a 5-quart Dutch oven heat the olive oil over medium heat until it is fragrant. Add the onions, carrots, and celery and cook 3 minutes. Add red pepper, garlic, bay leaves and oregano. Cook the vegetables until they are very brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Stir occasionally, just enough to prevent them from scorching. Add the crushed tomatoes with their juice, the tomato paste, salt and pepper, and the white wine and clam juice and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, and simmer, partially covered until the sauce level has reduced by 2 or 3 inches and the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Cook the sauce for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally so it doesn't stick. Remove from heat, cool down in the pot, then when at room temperature, transfer to a sealed plastic container and refrigerate until ready to use. This sauce will keep 10 days in a well-sealed container in the refrigerator. Mussels and pasta: Cook garlic and a bit of onion in oil, add white wine and mussels and steam 5-7 minutes. Meanwhile, cook pasta. Toss everything and serve.