Pasta with Venus Clams and Pumpkin

Ingredients

• 500 g Venus mussels
• 250 g band pasta
• Salt
• 350 g pumpkin flesh (Hokkaido or muscat pumpkin)
• 3 stems thyme
• 1 small red chili pepper
• 2 tbsp butter
• 400 ml dry white wine
• pepper (ground)
• 80 g green olives (pitted optional)

Instructions

1. 1.

   Wash and, if necessary, clean the mussels. Discard any mussels that do not close when gently pressed.

2. 2.

   Cook the band pasta in boiling salted water until al dente.

3. 3.

   Meanwhile, wash the pumpkin flesh and slice it into strips with a vegetable peeler. Wash thyme and chili pepper.

4. 4.

   Heat butter in a large covered pan and lightly brown the pumpkin strips. Add chili and thyme, then deglaze with white wine. Season with salt and pepper. Add mussels to the pan, cover, and cook for 2–3 minutes until they open. Mix the pan contents with drained pasta and olives, season again, and serve in deep bowls, discarding any unopened mussels.

5. 5.