Pasta Arrabiata With Mussels

Ingredients

• • 1 kg mussel meat
• • 1 ½ pack of your choice of dry pasta
• • 2 medium sized onions, finely chopped
• • 4 or 5 big sized garlic cloves, sliced
• • 2 tsp paprika
• • 2 or 3 seeded cubed tomatoes
• • 1 cup tomato sauce
• • 1 pack grated cheese
• • 1 tbsp margarine
• • 1 dash of sugar
• • “Cacho de Cabra” smoked chili pepper or merkén spice
• • Vegetable oil
• • Bay leaves
• • Parsley, finely chopped
• • Salt and pepper

Preparation

Soak the smoked chili pepper in water and then slice it into thin rings. Set aside.
In a wide frying pan, simmer the onion in vegetable oil, add the slices of smoked chili pepper and garlic. When browned, add the tomatoes and season with salt, pepper and paprika. Cook for 10 minutes.
Add the tomato sauce and rectify flavors. If it´s too sour, add a dash of sugar. If the sauce is too thick, add water from the pasta preparation.
Add the mussels and cook for 5 more minutes. Set aside.
Cook pasta in boiling water with salt and bay leaves for 9 to 10 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water to cut the cooking process. Put it back in the pot and add a tablespoon of margarine. Mix well.
Bring the pasta into the frying pan, mix and serve garnished with grated cheese and fresh chopped parsley.