Plump, briny mussels simmered in a garlicky tomato-wine sauce is a type of recipes that feels restaurant-fancy however comes collectively quick. This Mussels Marinara recipe is daring, saucy, a bit rustic, and completely begging for crusty bread.
It’s basic Italian-inspired consolation meals with chef-level taste. The mussels steam proper in the marinara, absorbing garlic, tomatoes, white wine, herbs, and simply sufficient purple pepper flakes to maintain issues fascinating, however not be “spicy”.
Why You’ll Love Our Mussels Marinara
- Weeknight-friendly: Ready quick, however nonetheless fancy sufficient to really feel such as you did one thing spectacular.
- Restaurant-quality taste: The garlicky tomato-wine sauce tastes prefer it simmered all afternoon.
- Quick-cooking seafood: Mussels prepare dinner in simply minutes, making this a low-effort, high-reward recipe.
- Light however satisfying: Naturally protein-packed with out feeling heavy.
- Super versatile: Serve it as an appetizer, essential dish, or spooned over pasta.
- That sauce, although: It’s made for crusty bread and pasta.
Ingredients for Mussels Marinara
You solely want a handful of easy elements to make this pasta dish. A full listing of elements with measurements for this recipe is offered in the printable recipe card under.
- Fresh mussels – Fresh mussels are the star of the dish. Once cleaned and steamed open, they bring about a briny sweetness that works fantastically with tomato, wine, and garlic.
- Bucatini – Bucatini provides the dish extra presence than a thinner pasta and catches the sauce particularly nicely, which makes each forkful really feel extra satisfying.
- Olive oil – Olive oil begins the sauce and provides the onions and garlic a softer, richer base.
- Yellow onion – Onion provides sweetness and depth and helps spherical out the acidity of the tomatoes.
- Garlic – Garlic is important right here. It provides the marinara its spine and helps the entire dish scent like dinner goes in the correct route.
- Crushed purple pepper flakes – Red pepper flakes add simply sufficient warmth to get up the sauce with out making it aggressive.
- Dry white wine – White wine provides the sauce acidity and depth and helps bridge the hole between the mussels and the tomatoes.
- Crushed tomatoes – Crushed tomatoes give the sauce its physique and make the broth really feel wealthy sufficient to carry the pasta and mussels collectively.
- Petite diced tomatoes – Diced tomatoes add texture and preserve the sauce from feeling too easy or flat.
- Fresh oregano – Fresh oregano provides herbaceous elevate and a barely peppery freshness that works particularly nicely with tomatoes.
- Kosher salt – Salt helps season the sauce, although it needs to be used thoughtfully as a result of mussels already convey some pure salinity.
- Black pepper – Black pepper provides delicate heat and rounds out the sauce.
- Sugar – A small quantity of sugar helps steadiness the acidity of the canned tomatoes.
- Unsalted butter – Butter is non-compulsory, nevertheless it provides the completed sauce a extra polished, silky really feel.
- Italian parsley – Parsley provides freshness proper on the finish and retains the ultimate dish from tasting too heavy.
How to Make Mussels Marinara
You can have this pasta on the dinner desk and able to take pleasure in in lower than an hour!
- Clean mussels. Rinse the mussels underneath chilly water, scrubbing the shells and eradicating the beards. Discard cracked mussels or any open mussels that don’t shut when tapped. Debeard the mussels, if wanted. Set apart.
- Cook pasta. Cook the bucatini in keeping with bundle instructions for al dente, reserving 1.2 cup of starchy pasta water.
- Sauté onions, garlic and purple pepper flakes. Heat the olive oil in a big deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium warmth. Add the onion and prepare dinner till softened. Stir in the garlic and purple pepper flakes. Cook for 30-60 seconds, stirring consistently, till aromatic.
- Add white wine. Pour in white wine and simmer for 2-3 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the underside of the pan.
- Pour in remaining elements. Add the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes with juices, oregano, salt, black pepper, sugar and reserved pasta water. Reduce the warmth to low and simmer uncovered for 10-12 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the mussels to the sauce. Cover and prepare dinner for 5-7 minutes, shaking the pan a couple of times, till the mussels open. Discard any mussels that stay closed
- Toss in the butter and cooked pasta. Add the cubed butter and cooked pasta, toss to coat and end the sauce.
- Plate and garnish. Plate the mussels with pasta and garnish with the parsley.
Chef’s Tips for Mussels Marinara
- Use extensive pan. Use a large pan with a tight-fitting lid so the mussels steam evenly. If the pan is simply too crowded, some mussels could prepare dinner earlier than others open.
- Pasta water. Using a contact of starchy pasta water helps the sauce cling to the pasta. Using a pasta like buccatini, is ideal for internet hosting this sauce.
- Do not overcook the mussels. Once they open, they’re performed. Overcooked mussels grow to be rubbery or mushy.
- Dry wine. Use dry white wine, not candy wine. Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, or unoaked Chardonnay all work nicely.
- Finish with butter. Finish with butter for a shiny, restaurant-style sauce. It’s non-compulsory, nevertheless it rounds out the acidity of the tomatoes fantastically.
What to Serve with Mussels Marinara
As with any pasta, I prefer to serve this mussels marinara with some crusty bread or garlic bread to absorb the scrumptious sauce. And you’ll be able to’t go mistaken with a chilly glass of crisp white wine.
I additionally prefer to serve any pasta dish with a aspect salad. It could be a conventional inexperienced salad, caprese salad or perhaps a easy caesar salad with selfmade garlic dressing and croutons.
Storage and Freezing
Storage: Mussels marinara is finest contemporary, however leftovers may be saved in an hermetic container in the fridge for as much as 1 day.
Reheating: Reheat gently over low warmth simply till warmed by. Avoid boiling, or the mussels can grow to be powerful.
Freezing: This isn’t a really perfect freezing recipe. The sauce may very well be frozen by itself, however the mussels are finest contemporary.
FAQs
Mussels marinara are contemporary mussels cooked in a tomato-based sauce with elements like garlic, olive oil, wine, and herbs.
Discard any mussels which can be cracked or that keep open when tapped earlier than cooking. After cooking, discard any that stay closed.
A dry white wine works finest as a result of it provides acidity and depth with out overpowering the sauce.
Pasta and crusty bread are the very best decisions, alongside with a easy salad or inexperienced vegetable.
More Hearty Pasta Recipes
When pasta is on the dinner menu, everybody will get excited! Here are a few of our favourite pasta recipes.
Mussels marinara is made with contemporary mussels, white wine, garlic and tomatoes for a simple dinner that feels restaurant-worthy and comforting.
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Servings:
Rinse the 2 kilos contemporary mussels underneath chilly water, scrubbing the shells and eradicating the beards (see video). Discard cracked mussels or any open mussels that don’t shut when tapped. Set apart.
Cook the 1 pound bucatini in keeping with bundle instructions for al dente, reserving 1/2 cup of starchy pasta water.
Heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil in a big deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium warmth. Add the chopped ½ cup yellow onion and prepare dinner for 2-3 minutes, till softened.
Stir in the minced 4 cloves garlic and 1/2 teaspoon crushed purple pepper flakes. Cook for 30-60 seconds, stirring consistently, till aromatic.
Pour in the 3/4 cup dry white wine and simmer for 2-3 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the underside of the pan.
Add the 28- ounce can crushed tomatoes, 28 ounce can petite diced tomatoes with juices, 1 tablespoon contemporary oregano, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, 1 tablespoon sugar and reserved pasta water. Reduce the warmth to low and simmer uncovered for 10-12 minutes, stirring often.
Add the cleaned mussels to the sauce. Cover and prepare dinner for 5-7 minutes, shaking the pan a couple of times, till the mussels open. Discard any mussels that stay closed
Add the cubed 2 tablespoons unsalted butter and cooked pasta, toss to coat.
Plate the mussels with pasta and garnish with the chopped 2 tablespoons Italian parsley. Serve with crusty bread.
If you have tried this recipe, come again and tell us the way it was in the feedback or star rankings.
Reheating: Reheat gently over low warmth simply till warmed by. Avoid boiling, or the mussels can grow to be powerful.
Freezing: This isn’t a really perfect freezing recipe. The sauce may very well be frozen by itself, however the mussels are finest contemporary.
Calories: 550 kcal, Carbohydrates: 84 g, Protein: 24 g, Fat: 12 g, Saturated Fat: 4 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5 g, Trans Fat: 0.2 g, Cholesterol: 32 mg, Sodium: 775 mg, Potassium: 1263 mg, Fiber: 8 g, Sugar: 17 g, Vitamin A: 986 IU, Vitamin C: 34 mg, Calcium: 153 mg, Iron: 8 mg
