Zucchini Noodles with Sweet Italian Sausage, Mussels and Cherry Tomatoes

This is one of those recipes I looked at and said “yeah right.”  It just didn’t seem possible that it could be as good as it looked in the photos.  First of all, I have a tumultuous history with spiralizers.  As in, the last one I used ended up in the trash along with a heap of frustration.  I replaced it with this small hand-held which is more in tune with my small (messy) kitchen.  So far I’ve found it to be magical with zucchini but produce mild to moderate frustration with sweet potatoes.

Anyways, it worked like a charm for this recipe, which I can now assure you is as good as it looks… or better!  I have to confess, because I knew I wouldn’t be making it the day I was shopping and wanted to save an extra trip to the store, I bought frozen vacuum packed mussels.  I hope my dad has skipped this section and gone straight to the recipe, because I don’t think he’d approve.  He’s very particular about his mussels – on more than one occasion I’ve seen him skip the mussels entirely because they didn’t meet his fancy.  Well, I am of a generation of microwave-produced laziness, and found these to be the perfect solution for my “I don’t know what night I’m going to be home from happy hour in time to cook” lifestyle.  On top of all of this, I followed the microwave instructions for the mussels. And you know what?  It tasted great.  If you prefer fresh mussels, you do you.  Have fun cleaning them, let me know what that’s like.

This was one of those recipes that gives both Courtney and I the feeling of “why do we ever eat out!?”  I mean first of all, look at it.  It’s beautiful (especially on my Arcos plates!)  Second of all, I know exactly what went into it, which included no butter or added fat, no weird preservatives, or disgruntled chef’s armpit hair.  It was unbelievably healthy and tasted straight up amazing.  We’ve been trying to be better about ballin’ on a budget lately, and while this is by no means a budget recipe, I can make the whole batch for less than we would pay for one person out on the town.  So next time we get a mussel craving, we won’t be walking up to Belga, Messy Kitchen mussels are where it’s at!

Zucchini Noodles with Sweet Italian Sausage, Mussels and Cherry Tomatoes

Adapted from Inspiralized

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (optional)
• 3 sweet Italian sausage links, decased
• 1 cup diced yellow onion
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 cloves of minced garlic
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons chopped basil
• 2 dozen mussels
• 3 medium zucchinis

Instructions:

1. If you are using fresh mussels, clean them in the way you’re supposed to clean fresh mussels.  Google that shit. I used PanaPesca cooked blue mussels in their shells, which have been frozen and vacuum sealed in their own juices. I used the microwave instructions on how to cook them, and it tasted great.  However if you do this, it’s very important that you add the juices along with the mussels!  This is where the flavor is at.
2. Cook the sausage in a large sauce pan or dutch oven with lid until browned.  Add in the onion, garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until vegetables soften, about five minutes.  You may or may not need additional oil, for me there was plenty of grease lingering from the sausage.
3. Add in the tomatoes, season with salt and pepper and cover, cooking another 5 minutes.
4. Lower the heat and add in the basil and mussels. If you used fresh mussels, this is when you’re going to want to let them cook until they open.  If you’re using my method, just let them simmer until the juices can meld, about one minute.  Regardless, discard any that do not open.
5. Add the zucchini noodles into a large serving bowl and then pour over the mussel mixture and toss to combine.  You can also just poor them straight into the dutch oven and save yourself some dishes. As the sauce sits over the noodles, it will soften them. Let sit for 2 minutes for the flavors to absorb and then serve.

Serves 3 (or 4 with really wimp  appetites) 

Johanna