Spaghetti with Mussels and Pecorino

Method

1. Clean the mussels thoroughly.
2. In a pan, add a drizzle of olive oil, a clove of garlic, and some basil stems. Add the mussels and cover. Cook over high heat until they open.
3. Transfer the opened mussels to a bowl. Filter the cooking liquid through a fine-mesh strainer.
4. Remove the mussels from their shells and place them in a little bit of the filtered liquid to keep them moist.
5. Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in boiling salted water.
6. In a pan, add the filtered mussel cooking liquid and start preparing the pecorino cream: mix grated pecorino with a little hot pasta water, stirring until creamy.
7. When the pasta is 3/4 cooked (al dente), drain it and transfer it to the pan with the mussel sauce. Finish cooking the pasta in the sauce.
8. Add a grating of organic lemon zest for freshness.
9. Toss the pasta in the sauce to coat.
10. Add the mussels and plenty of fresh basil. Turn off the heat.
11. Wait a few seconds for the temperature to lower, then add the pecorino cream and toss again until creamy and well combined.