Mussels With Pasta In White Wine Sauce

You have to try these delicious Mussels With Pasta In White Wine Sauce. It's a healthy and easy recipe, perfect for a fuss-free date night or when you want to make your dinner extra special. 

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #WonderfulYourWay #CollectiveBias The following content is intended for readers who are 21 or older.
 

Mussels With Pasta In White Wine Sauce

For many busy parents date nights out are a rare event.

And to be honest, for me and my husband, they are almost non-existent. Since our parents live far from us and can't babysit, it's practically impossible to get out of the house without kids.

Being a mother of two has taught me how to find a practical solution in every situation. 

If there's no opportunity to go on a date night, there are still lots of ways to create a romantic atmosphere at home even with kids running around.

Mussels With Pasta

If you are a busy parent and my situation speaks to you, here's what I suggest to make date nights at home fun, memorable, and actually doable.

Kids come first. If you want to make your date night at home as stress-free as possible, you have to get your kids busy.

If you have young babies, put them to bed earlier. My older daughter is 6, so it's impossible to put her to bed early. But my youngest daughter's bedtime is at 7-8 so when she's in her bed, it's much easier to organise a date night.

If kids aren't sleeping, prepare different activities for them that they will more likely to be engaged with for a longer time. 

In our case, it's usually pulling out toys that were hidden and the kids haven't played with them in a while.

Whenever my daughters get these toys, they would play with them like the toys are new, thus leaving us some quite time.

Set the atmosphere. I get it, it feels weird to dress up and pull out a romantic setting in your own house. 

But if you want to make a dinner special, you've got to work on the details. Pull out a beautiful dinnerware and glassware, lit the candles, put on a nice music and last but not least - dress up.

Pretend like you're going to a restaurant and prepare your best outfit.

Think of the menu. Prepare simple appetizers to tease those taste buds before the main meal. I suggest Crostini With Brie or Polenta Bites With Black Olive Tapenade.

Think of the beverages. Since I'm preparing a seafood dish, Pinot Grigio would be the perfect pair to my recipe.

Now on to the main meal. You want it to be special, right? Yet mouthwatering and easy to prepare.

Here's an idea - Mussels With Pasta In White Wine Sauce. It's creamy, flavorful and so good! It is definitely a Valentine's Day worthy meal.

I hope you are sold. So here's what you need.

Mussels In Garlic Sauce

First - head over to your local Kroger Store in the Pasta aisle and get Barilla® Collezione Bucatini. I've been using Barilla pasta for years. It's delicious, simple and you can't beat the quality of the product.

Next, you need fresh mussels. Make sure to clean them well and discard any open shells prior to cooking. You'll also need a good dry white wine. Pinot Grigio would be a good choice.

How to make mussels in white wine sauce?

1. Start off by cooking pasta according to a package instructions. For this recipe I used Pasta Bucatini but Linguine or Spaghetti will work here as well.
2.  While pasta is cooking, heat olive oil in a large pot. Add shallots and garlic and sauté for a few minutes until shallots are soft and fragrant.
3. Add in thyme, lemon zest, white wine, mussels, salt and pepper. Cover the lid and cook until mussels are open and cooked, about 7-10 minutes.
4. Drain pasta and add to a pot with mussels. Give everything a nice stir and serve immediately. Oh, and don't forget to sprinkle the mussels with the remaining tablespoon of thyme and pour over a sauce from the pot.

These Mussels With Pasta In White White Sauce can be put together in under 30 minutes, which is always a great solution for busy parents.

Restaurant-style meal made at home. How cool is that?:)

What to serve with Pasta With Mussels?

This easy recipe goes great with simple and refreshing salad or sides. Here's what I recommend:

• Roasted Balsamic Green Beans And Tomatoes
• Baked Zucchini, Tomatoes And Mozzarella 
• Salad With Beets, Arugula And Goat Cheese

If you enjoyed this recipe, you'll also like these Best Mussels recipes you can make at home:

• Mussels Pasta with Garlic and Fennel
• 30-minute Garlic Mussels

Recipe