Dark Like Darth: Garlicky Mussels Over Squid Ink Pasta #FoodNFlix #StarWarsFood

Just a reminder why you're being bombarded by Star Wars-inspired recipes this month. Kelley of Simply Inspired Meals is hosting a month of Star Wars recipes for Food'N'Flix. You can read her invitation here.

I was brainstorming what dishes I could make that would represent Darth Vader and 'squid ink' was the loudest suggestion. 

I once made Vadar's Darkside Towers with Boccalone's Sanguinaccio with blood sausages, but I don't have a good source for that here.

And I thought about a riff on a squid ink cocktail such as my Blackbeard Cocktail made with dark, spiced rum, stout beer, and the amazingly dark cuttlefish ink.

When I was little, Darth Vader terrified me. That heavy breathing. That ominous helmet. That cape. But, for some reason, all the little boys I know think he's cool. For one of our best friend's parties, Jake made a Darth Vader cake.

And D wanted his picture taken with that dark lord at the 2013 Star Wars exhibit. I guess Darth doesn't scare them. Fine.

So, I decided to share a garlic-heavy dish that's quick and easy. If you love garlic, give this one a go, too. It's perfect for keeping those vampires away plus it's dark like Darth!

Ingredients

• 2 pounds mussels, soaked, scrubbed, and dried
• 1 stick of butter, divided in half
• splash of olive oil
• 5 to 6 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 1/3 C dry white wine (I used a Sauvignon Blanc)
• 3 T freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 C organic heavy cream
• freshly ground salt
• freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 C fresh chopped herbs (I used a mixture of parsley, tarragon, and thyme)
• cooked pasta (I used a squid ink pasta)
• cheese for serving (I used grated parmesan)

Procedure

Place 1/2 stick of butter in a large, flat-bottom pan with a lid. Add a splash of olive oil to keep the butter from burning. Heat until the butter is completely melted and foamy.

Add in the garlic. Cook until the garlic is softened and aromatic. Deglaze the pan with wine. Once the wine begins to simmer, pour in the lemon juice, and place the mussels in a single layer in the pan and add the remaining butter. Cook for one to two minutes, then pour in the cream. Stir to combine, then cover and steam until the mussels open. Check them after five minutes. They are cooked and ready when the shells are completely open. 

Remove the mussels and fold the herbs into the sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. To serve, I cooked squid ink pasta and placed them in individual serving bowls. I divided the mussels evenly into the bowls and spooned the sauce over the top. Sprinkle with cheese and serve immediately.

*This blog currently has a partnership with Amazon.com in their affiliate program, which gives me a small percentage of sales if you buy a product through a link on my blog. It doesn't cost you anything more. If you are uncomfortable with this, feel free to go directly to Amazon.com and search for the item of your choice.