Ingredients
70 g pesto
2 thick slices of wholemeal bread , (50g each)
200g baby courgettes
200g ripe mixed-colour cherry tomatoes , on the vine
500g mussels , scrubbed, debearded, from sustainable sources
160g fresh or frozen peas
50ml white wine , optional
2 sprigs of fresh basil
Method
Put a large pan on a medium-high heat, and toast the bread as the pan heats up, turning when golden. Trim and finely slice the courgettes, and halve the cherry tomatoes. Check the mussels – if any are open, just give them a little tap and they should close; if they don’t they’re no good, so chuck those ones away. Remove the toast and spread one quarter of the pesto on each slice.
Turn the heat under the pan up to full whack and tip in the mussels. Stir in the remaining pesto, the courgettes, tomatoes and peas. Add the wine (if using), or a good splash of water. Cover with a lid and leave to steam for 3 to 4 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally. When all the mussels have opened and are soft and juicy, they’re ready. If any remain closed, simply throw those away. Divide the mussels, veg and all those gorgeous juices between two large bowls, pick over the basil leaves and serve with the pesto toasts on the side for some epic dunking.