This is an adoption of a traditional recipe more commonly made with clams, but it works well like this. The recipe is for one person, and in portions (i.e. as much as one person would be happy to eat) a habit which comes from working in restaurants, but one I find works as this can more easily be adjusted to the number of diners.
Ingredients
1 portion mussels, cooked separately & deshelled (mussels bought precooked & shells work OK, but will lack flavour compared to fresh mussels)
1 portion long pasta such as spaghetti or tagliatelle (if tagliatelle bicolour or tricolour are available, then these are ideal)
1 portion tomatoes (roughly equivalent in volume to mussels when still in shells)
1 cup olives, mixed - these should be destoned; flavoured olives are ideal.
1 clove garlic, crushed & finely chopped
1 red chili deseeded & finely chopped (not a very strongly flavoured variety, it will spoil the dish)
1 tablespoon finely chopped oregano (fresh if available, but dried is OK)
Sufficient ollve oil to cover the base of a large pan or wok.
Cooking Instructions
Heat the oil in a pan over a medium to high heat. Add the garlic & chili, and stir for about 1 minute, until garlic is browned but not burned.
Add the tomatoes, oregano and olives. Bring to boil, then lower heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
Meanwhile cook the pasta till al-dante, then drain.
Add the mussels to the sauce, stir and cook for a further 2 minutes, then add the pasta and stir through.
This is best served in bowls & can be further seasoned with freshly chopped parsley, but salt & pepper are best avoided as this should already be warm & slightly salty.