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Ingredients

  • 200ml Pernod
  • 500g mussels, cleaned
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds
  • 50g ’nduja, broken into pieces (see notes below)
  • 300g orzo
  • 2 ripe tomatoes, chopped
  • a small bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped
  • 1 lemon, wedged, to serve

Method

  • STEP 1

    Put the Pernod in a large, deep, lidded frying pan and bring to the boil. Tip in the mussels, put on the lid and cook for 5 minutes or until the mussels open. Drain, reserving the liquid.

  • STEP 2

    Heat the olive oil in the same pan, add the onion and garlic, and cook gently for 5-10 minutes or until soft. Add the fennel seeds and ’nduja, and cook for 5 minutes or until everything is a deep red. Stir through the orzo and tomatoes so that all the grains are coated. Pour the mussel liquid into a jug, leaving the last gritty bit in the bowl. Top up with boiling water to make 750ml of liquid, add to the pasta a ladleful at a time, and cook, stirring, until all the liquid has been absorbed before adding the next. Once the orzo is cooked, add the mussels to heat through. Scatter with parsley and serve with lemon wedges.

’Nduja is a spicy Italian spreadable salami. Buy it in Italian delis and some large supermarkets, or use chopped chorizo instead.

Try more of our mussels recipes here...

Saffron mussels with orzo & tomatoes
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