Rialto Restaurant & Bar

Steamed mussels with garlic and sun-dried tomatoes on pesto toasts

This simple dish, with the pesto and sun dried tomatoes, brings some sun to your winter
January table.

Makes 4 generous main course servings

4 thick slices rustic bread
6 tablespoons pesto—your favorite recipe
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 large shallots, minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
8 sun-dried tomato halves, cut into julienne
4 pounds mussels, about 100, scrubbed and de-bearded
1 teaspoon anise seeds
½ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
1 ½ cups white wine
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ cup chopped parsley
¼ cup chopped basil

 

Preheat the broiler.

Toast the bread on each side under the broiler, and then spread generously with pesto.
Put one toast in each of 4 large warm soup bowls.

Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the garlic, shallots and
sun dried tomatoes and cook 3 minutes. Add the mussels, anise seeds, hot red pepper
flakes and the wine, cover and cook until the mussels open, 4 to 5 minutes. Check as
they are cooking and remove the mussels as they open and transfer to a large bowl.
Discard any that don’t open. Check again for beards.

Whisk the butter into the juices and then add the parsley and basil. Taste and adjust
seasoning. Add the mussels back and toss to heat through. Divide evenly among the
4 bowls. Serve immediately.