Mussel Casserole

Total Time: 1 hr 45 mins Preparation Time: 45 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 3 lbs mussels
• 1/2 cup wine
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 lb potato, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• salt and pepper
• 4 ounces grated pecorino cheese
• 2/3 cup breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
• 1 large egg, slightly beaten

Recipe

• 1 preheat the oven to 375°f
• 2 scrub and rinse the mussels well. pull away the beards and discard them. throw away any mussels that have cracked shells. put the mussels in a sauté pan, add the wine, cover the pot and steam them until the shells begin to open. drain and strain the liquid through cheesecloth over a colander in a bowl. save the liquid.
• 3 remove the top shell of each mussel but leave the mussel in the bottom shell. set them aside.
• 4 spread the olive oil in an earthenware casserole dish. arrange a layer of onions over the olive oil. add a layer of tomatoes and a layer of potatoes. place the mussels in their shells over the potatoes in a single layer. salt and pepper the mussels to taste.
• 5 combine the cheese, bread crumbs, and parsley together in a small bowl. spread some of the mixture over the mussels. continue making layers of onion, tomatoes, potatoes, and mussels and spread some of the cheese/bread crumb mixture over each mussel layer.
• 6 pour the mussel liquid along the side of the pan. pour the beaten egg over the top of the casserole.
• 7 bake uncovered until the potatoes are browned, approximately 45 minutes. use a spoon to scoop and serve.