Step 1

Bring 100ml of water to the boil in a large saucepan, add the mussels and cook, covered, until they open.

Step 2

As soon as they open, remove the pan from the heat and let the mussels cool. If one or two of them don't open, discard them as they are dead.

Step 3

Take the mussels out of their shells and put in a bowl with the cooking liquid. You can leave a few in their shell for decoration if you like.

Step 4

Cook the pasta in boiling salted water for 8 - 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain, reserving a cup of the cooking water.

Step 5

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a heavy-based frying pan over medium heat, add the garlic and cook until golden. Add the mussels and tomatoes, then increase the heat to high and cook for 3 minutes. Pour in 100ml of the mussel water and simmer until reduced to a creamy consistency.

Step 6

Add the spaghetti to the mussel sauce and toss over high heat for one minute. If the dish looks too dry, add some of the pasta water. Toss through the chopped parsley and serve very hot, garnished with extra parsley sprigs, if liked,