These mussels, flavored with garlic-herb butter and baked instead of steamed, beg for some crusty bread to sop up the wonderful sauce. Try them over pasta, too.
Ingredients
2 lb mussels (preferably cultivated), cleaned and beards removed
3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 450°F.
Spread mussels in a 13- by 9-inch baking dish. Blend all remaining ingredients to a paste in a food processor. Spoon mixture over mussels. Cover tightly with foil and bake in middle of oven until all mussels are open, 12 to 15 minutes. (Discard any unopened mussels.)
