SUMMER PASTA

4. While the pasta is cooking, slice the bacon into strips about ¼ inch and one inch long. I make my own bacon, but you can buy slab bacon at the deli section of Rustan’s Supermarkets, Santi’s Delicatessen, and Brera Delicatessen. You may use regular sliced bacon if you can’t be bothered to go out of your way.

5. Place the bacon in a pot large enough to hold the cooked pasta and the mussels, cook over low heat until the fat starts to render and the outside of the bacon starts to brown. (Note: by placing the bacon in a cold pan, you allow it to cook slowly so that the fat renders out).

6. Add some butter, and when it is melted add the garlic, shallots, celery, ginger, and bay leaves. Sauté until everything is just soft.

7. Pour in the gin, turn up the heat, and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits that are sticking to the bottom of the pot.

8. Let the gin boil for about two minutes, mix in the gin and lemon juice. Add the mussels, cover the pot and cook for three to four minutes, shaking the pot occasionally. Check if the mussels have opened up, if not, cook for one to two minutes longer.

9. Add the spaghetti to the mussels and cream mixture, tossing gently so that the cream coats all the spaghetti. Add salt and pepper to taste, and continue to cook for about a minute to allow the spaghetti to absorb the sauce and finish cooking. Add some pasta water if the mixture looks too dry.

10. Plate and serve immediately with olive and sun-dried tomato

on the side. Garnish with fresh parsley or chopped spring onions if you want.