Whole-Grain Linguine with Mussels and Avgolemono Sauce

Ingredients

• 2½ tbsp olive oil, divided
• 2 tbsp (30 g) unsalted butter
• 2 medium shallots, minced
• ½ tsp ground black pepper
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 900 g (2 lb) mussels, scrubbed and debearded
• 120 ml (½ cup) dry white wine
• 2 bay leaves
• 120 ml (½ cup) 1% milk
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 75 ml (5 tbsp) fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
• 2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 450 g (1 lb) whole-grain linguine
• 120 ml (½ cup) reserved pasta water
• Lemon wedges, to serve

Method

1. Cook the linguine until al dente. Drain, reserving 120 ml (½ cup) of the cooking water, and toss the pasta with ½ tbsp of the oil so it doesn't stick.
2. In a large sauté pan over medium heat, warm the butter with the remaining oil. When it foams, add the shallots and cook until tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic for 30 seconds, then season with the salt, pepper and chili flakes.
3. Add the wine, bay leaves and mussels, cover and steam for about 5 minutes, until the mussels start to open. Stir, add the milk, cover again and steam 2 minutes more. Discard any mussels that stay closed. Off the heat, ladle about 120 ml (½ cup) of the cooking juices into a heatproof bowl.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs until frothy. Whisking hard all the while, add the lemon juice in a thin stream, then the reserved cooking juices.
5. Pour the egg mixture slowly over the mussels, stirring constantly, until the sauce lightly coats them. Return to low heat and do not let it boil.
6. Add the pasta a little at a time, tossing to coat and loosening with pasta water as needed. Toss in the dill and parsley and serve at once with lemon wedges.