Cooked with tomato, mussels are a kind of stew flavored with garlic and basil that perfectly complements a dish of fresh pasta.
Clean the mussels, brush them, rinse them and remove the byssus. Peel the tomatoes, cut them and coarsely chop the pulp; reserve the juice. Peel and finely chop the garlic cloves. Heat 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan. Add the tomatoes, their juice, the garlic and the bouquet garni. Season with pepper and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.
Add the mussels and cook for 10 minutes over high heat. Remove them when they are open. Peel them and keep them warm. Discard mussels that have remained closed.
Fill a large pot with water, salt and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Bring to a boil and add the pasta. They will cook very quickly (3 to 5 minutes).
Meanwhile, reduce the tomato cooking over high heat. Chop the basil leaves and add them. Salt moderately and pepper. Put the molds back to warm them well.
Drain the mussels thoroughly and pour them into a very hot hollow dish. Pour the mussels with tomato and basil on top, removing the bouquet garni. Mix quickly and serve immediately.
