Spaghetti with Catalan-style mussels

To prepare spaghetti with Catalan-style mussels, start with the cherry tomatoes. Wash them under fresh running water and dry them. Remove the green stem and cut them into quarters 1. Put them in a bowl, season with salt, and add a drizzle of oil 2. Roughly tear the basil leaves 3, then set aside.

Peel and clean the onion, then cut it into wedges and then into thin strips 4. Place it in a bowl with cold water 5 and vinegar 6 for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, proceed with the cleaning of the mussels. Rinse them under running water 7 and use a knife to remove any encrustations and barnacles on the shell surface. Then, pull out the beard protruding from the shells with a firm yank 8. Scrub the shell with a steel wool pad to remove any remaining impurities 9.

Place them in a non-stick pot 10, heat over high heat with the lid on 11, and wait for the mussels to open, stirring occasionally: it will take about 7-8 minutes. Once ready, save the cooking liquid, then open the mussels and remove the mollusks 12.

Strain the mussel liquid using a gauze placed over a bowl 13, you should obtain 26 oz. At this point, squeeze a lemon 14 and pour the juice into a small bowl. Add the olive oil 15,

and 1.4 oz of the mussel cooking liquid 16; whisk the ingredients with a flat spring whisk 17 until you get a homogeneous mixture 18.

Pour the remaining 34 oz of mussel cooking liquid into a large pan along with the cold water 19. Bring to a boil and cook the spaghetti, arranging them evenly in the pan 20. Let the cooking water evaporate completely, stirring the spaghetti occasionally to prevent sticking 21.

When there are 3 minutes left for cooking, add the cherry tomatoes 22, the drained onion 23, and the mussels 34.

Finally, pour in the lemon-based emulsion you prepared 25 and mix the ingredients to combine them evenly 26, allowing to cook for an additional 3 minutes. Now plate your spaghetti with Catalan-style mussels and enjoy warm, garnishing with basil leaves 27!