It’s no secret that seafood is my absolute favorite food. I could probably eat it for every meal and every day of the week, never getting tired of it! Mussels are in the top 10 on my list. If you like mussels and Italian food, you will love these Easy Mussels Marinara. Not only are they really delicious, but they are so easy to make. They cook up so quickly too. You can serve them alone or with your favorite type of pasta. They make a wonderful main course or a great appetizer.
One thing that I must mention though is when you are making raw mussels, if there are any that don’t open up after they are cooked, throw them away because they were dead before they were cooked and you cannot eat them. Mussels must be cooked while alive. Make sure to clean them under cold water before cooking them to rinse off any sand or dirt. They also need to be debearded (the mussels have a stringy bit hanging out of it which is referred to as the beard). You will need to pull this off. Ok, so grab a glass of wine and keep reading to see how I made my Easy Mussels Marinara.
| Easy Mussels Marinara |
- 2 lbs. Prince Edward Island Mussels (washed and debearded)*see note
- 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 4 large garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 3-4 tbsp. chopped fresh basil
- ¼ cup dry red wine (don’t use cooking wine. The wine must be a type that you would drink)
- 1 (28 oz) can of crushed tomatoes
- ¼-1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- In a large nonstick Dutch oven heat the oil over medium low heat. When hot add the onions and garlic and cook for about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally until onion is transparent. Add in the salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes, if using. Mix well. Add in the crushed tomatoes and then add in the wine and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes until the alcohol is burned off. Add in the mussels and stir to coat with the sauce. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes or until all the mussels are opened. Add the basil and stir. Cook for another 4-5 minutes. Serve over pasta, if desired.
- Note: Rinse the mussels very well and keep on ice until ready to cook.
Gorgeous! And easier than people think – love it!
Patricia @ Grab a Plate recently posted…Sweet and Savory Plum and Prosciutto Galette
Hi Patricia! Thank you very much! Have a great day! 🙂
Beautiful recipe with mussels, Sandi! I need to give it a try, with some rice on the side 🙂
Hi Del….thank you so much! Yup rice would go perfect with it! Have a great day! 🙂
When do you add the crushed tomatoes?
Sorry,…I left out a step! Thank you for bringing it to my attention! I am going to fix it. Add the tomatoes after you add the salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes, before you add the wine. Hope you enjoy my recipe! Thank you for stopping by and have a great weekend!