Mussels With Tomatoes, Basil and Saffron

From the Food network's kitchen cookbook "Making it Easy." I took this new cookbook out of the library after browsing so many great sounding recipes. I am posting here since I only have the book for a short while. Serve with a warm crusty bread to mop up the sauce!

• Ready In: 20 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1⁄2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2  shallots, thinly sliced
• 6  garlic cloves, smashed
• 1 (28 ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained, roughly chopped
• 1  orange
• 1  cup dry white wine, can use dry white vermouth
• 1  pinch saffron thread
• 5  lbs mussels, scrubbed and debearded
• 2  cups fresh basil, slighly heaping, roughly chopped

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook, stirring until the garlic is golden, 3-4 minutes.
2. Add the tomatoes and cook until almost dry, about 3 minutes.
3. Use a swivel peeler to peel off 2 long strips of zest from the orange and add them to the pot.
4. Squeeze the orange's juice into the tomatoes, then stir in the wine or vermouth and the saffron.
5. Raise the heat to high and bring the mixture to a rapid boil.
6. Add mussels. Cover and cook, shaking the pot once or twice, just until they finally begin to open, about 2 minutes more.
7. Spoon the mussels into large warm serving bowls and ladle some of the broth over each serving.
8. Discard any mussels that didn't open.