Cozze alla marinara

Method

1. 1 Clean the mussel shells thoroughly and remove all the tentacles, discarding any with broken shells or those that don't close when tapped.
2. 2 Sauté sliced garlic and dried chilies in olive oil in a wide saucepan.
3. 3 Add the mussels, pour in the white wine, and seal the lid tightly.
4. 4 Shake the pot a few times for 4 minutes, and when all the mussels open their shells, turn off the heat immediately; leaving them in for too long will cause them to shrink.
5. 5 Sprinkle with plenty of parsley and pepper, and serve with toasted bread for dipping in the mussel sauce.

With an appliance

• Microwave 22 min

  Replace steps 3–4: place mussels and wine in a covered bowl, microwave at 800 W for 4 minutes, and discard any mussels that do not open; step 5 remains unchanged.