Scialatielli Pasta with Steamed Mussels - Pasta is a Girl's Best Friend!

Those of you who follow my blog know that I love to go out to eat at some of Campania's top restaurants.  Those who follow me on social media, however, know that I love to cook as well.  Can't eat out always!
Summer is one of my favorite times to cook because, let's be honest, I have more time.  More time to prepare an Italian staple - pasta.  I remember when I first moved to Italy over 25 years ago, I was surprised at how many different pasta formats there were and how many different ways it can be prepared. And because of that, pasta has basically become my best friend...
Recently friend and pasta maker Giovanni Assante  of Gerardo di Nola sent me a surprise package.  The postman did ring twice! A package full of pasta and tomatoes to last me quite awhile and maybe spark some creativity in my kitchen as summer starts to wind down.

One of the packages that caught my attention was his scialatielli al nero di seppia.  Scialiatelli is a thick pasta which looks a little like fettucine, just shorter.  This version includes black squid ink included during the pasta making proscess.
To stick with a seafood theme, I decided to prepare something simple but flavorful.  Steamed mussels!

After steaming the clean clams with a little garlic, chili peppers and just a small bit of extra virgin olive oil, I seperated the mussels from their shells, making sure to keep the water left behind which would basically be the pasta sauce.
In another pot,  I cooked the pasta for abour 7 or 8 minutes in lightly salted boiling water.  I then added the pasta to the steamed mussel water and stirred/tossed etc etc until the pasta was how we wanted it.  Al dente, of course - cooking time depends on many factors but I took about another 7  minutes or so.  Every now and then I added the water that I cooked the pasta in - make sure you don't throw that out!  It is full of starch that helps the pasta bond with the flavors from the mussels.  Oh, yeah, I added the cooked mussels right at the end with a bit of Italian parsley.

Buon pranzo!