With the evening drawing in it is perhaps the time to remind ourselves of the Summer just passed.

Quick evening meals using the last of the season’s ingredients. We tend to think of tomatoes as being a summer crop, but they continue to do well until the frosts arrive and with mussels returning, now is the perfect time to rustle up this dish with a few simple ingredients.

This dish will surprise you with just how quickly it can be prepared. The sauce takes less time to cook than the pasta itself and is bursting with flavour.

A simple dry white wine with good acidity will really sing with this dish, such as Clos La Chapelle Muscadet de Sevre et Maine 2021 or Picpoul de Pinet Cuvee Prestige 2022.

Ingredients (serves 2)

400g live mussels, washed and beards removed

200g cherry tomatoes, halved

75ml white wine

2 cloves garlic finely chopped

2 bay leaves

10g parsley, roughly chopped

Pinch dried red chili flakes or half a red chilli, de-seeded and finely diced

20g unsalted butter

50ml Olive oil

200g dried Mafaldine (or any other good quality pasta of your choice)

Pinch of salt

Crusty bread to serve

Method

Bring a large pan of water to boil and season generously with salt. Add the Mafaldine and keep on a rolling boil.

Meanwhile, put 50ml olive oil in a wide, shallow pan and warm over a medium heat.

Throw in the garlic, chilli and bay leaves. Allow to sizzle but do not brown the garlic.

Add the wine and reduce by half.

Then add the tomatoes, and simmer until collapsing.

Add the mussels, stir and cover with a tight-fitting lid.

Stir once more after one minute and add the butter and parsley. The mussels are cooked when they open - when this happens, remove from heat.

When the pasta is al dente, remove from the boiling water using tongs and add directly to the mussels. Check seasoning and adjust if necessary.

Stir and serve immediately, discarding any mussels that remain closed. Serve some crusty bread on the side for mopping up the lovely juices.

The Perfect Wine Match

Gilbert Chon Muscadet Sevre et Maine Sur Lie `Clos de la Chapelle`, 2021

Charming nose of lemon citrus and apple with undertones of ripe Cantaloupe melon. Clean and crisp with uplifting acidity, and a deft saline edge. Very pure and precise with impressive chalky minerality on the long, fine finish.

Picpoul de Pinet Cuvee Prestige, 2022

Vibrant and exciting nose of green apple and pear with underlying lemon citrus and lime. Fresh, crisp and racy on the palate with a mineral backbone that provides focus and direction. A super wine that is growing in popularity!