Mussels Marinara is an elegant yet surprisingly fast seafood dish. These fresh mussels are steamed in a garlicky tomato sauce that’s perfect for a quick weeknight meal or date night. For the ultimate Italian feast, serve them over homemade egg pasta with a side of cheesy garlic bread and a crisp chopped Italian salad. Watch the video in the recipe card to see just how easy it is!
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🥫 The Ingredients
This dish brings together fresh seafood with fragrant aromatics, a bright splash of acidity, and a touch of buttery richness to create a perfectly balanced, herb-flecked sauce for your favorite pasta. Find ingredient notes (including substitutions and variations) below.
📝 Ingredients Notes and Substitutions
- Mussels: Use fresh mussels that are tightly closed; discard any that don’t close when tapped. Be sure to scrub and de-beard them before cooking.
- Tomatoes: Hand-crushed San Marzano tomatoes are recommended for their sweetness and rustic texture, but any high-quality canned whole peeled tomatoes will work.
- The “Gloss”: Stirring in cold butter at the end (monter au beurre) is the secret to a glossy, velvety restaurant-style sauce.
- Swaps: If you don’t have shallots, use finely diced red onion. To cook without alcohol, replace the white wine with seafood or chicken stock and an extra squeeze of lemon.
🔥 Variations
- Fra Diavolo (Spicy): Double the red pepper flakes or add a fresh diced chili for a fiery kick.
- Creamy Marinara: Stir in ¼ cup of heavy cream with the butter for a richer, pink sauce.
- The “Mainland” Mix: Turn this into a mixed seafood pasta by adding shrimp or littleneck clams to the skillet at the same time as the mussels.
- Low Carb: Skip the pasta entirely and serve the mussels in a shallow bowl with extra broth and a side of roasted vegetables.
📌 Tips and Tricks for Perfect Mussels Marinara
- The Tap Test: Before cooking, inspect your mussels. If any are open, give them a firm tap against the counter. If they don’t snap shut, they are no longer alive and should be discarded immediately.
- Don’t Overcook: Mussels cook very quickly (usually 5–7 minutes). As soon as the shells pop open, they are done. Leaving them on the heat too long will make the meat rubbery and shrunken.
- Prep Just Before Cooking: Avoid de-bearding your mussels too far in advance, as this can kill them. Scrub and de-beard them right before they go into the skillet for the freshest results.
- Hand-Crush for Texture: For a truly rustic, restaurant-style sauce, crush the San Marzano tomatoes by hand in a separate bowl before adding them to the pan. This creates a chunky consistency that clings to the shells better than canned crushed tomatoes.
- Use Cold Butter: When finishing the sauce, ensure your butter is cold. This helps it emulsify properly into the tomato base, creating a glossy, velvety sauce rather than a greasy one.
- Al Dente Pasta: Cook your linguine or spaghetti for one minute less than the package directions. Finish the pasta directly in the sauce for the last 30 seconds so it absorbs the savory flavors without becoming mushy.
👩🏼🍳 How to Make Easy Mussels Marina
- Step 1: Sauté the chopped shallots in oil over medium heat until soft and translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Step 2: Stir in the garlic, and then the red pepper flakes, sugar, salt, and pepper. Add the wine and cook until reduced by about half, around 3 minutes.
- Step 3: Crush the tomatoes by hand and then stir them into the sauce. Simmer, uncovered, for 8 to 10 minutes.
- Step 4: Add the mussels and toss to coat.
- Step 5: Cover and cook on low until their shells have opened (discard any that don’t open). This takes about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Step 6: Gently stir in the butter and garnish with chopped fresh basil and parsley. Add a squeeze of fresh lemon to bring it all together.
🍜 How to Serve
- Over Pasta: Divide your hot linguine or spaghetti into wide, shallow bowls. Ladle a generous portion of mussels and sauce over the top so the pasta can soak up the flavors.
- The Perfect Sides: Serve alongside cheesy garlic bread or rosemary focaccia bread to mop up the extra sauce, and a crisp chopped Italian salad or authentic Caesar salad to provide a refreshing crunch.
- Fresh Garnishes: Finish each bowl with an extra sprinkle of fresh herbs and a lemon wedge on the side for a bright, final squeeze.
- The “Discard” Bowl: Always place a large, empty bowl in the center of the table for guests to discard their empty mussel shells as they eat.
- Family Style: For a more casual vibe, bring the entire skillet to the table and let everyone serve themselves directly from the pan.
🙋🏽♂️ Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, though fresh is always preferred for the best texture. If using frozen, make sure they are fully thawed and drained before adding them to the sauce to avoid watering it down.
They are ready once the shells have fully opened. This usually takes about 5 to 7 minutes of simmering under a tight-fitting lid.
Any shells that remain tightly shut after simmering should be discarded and not eaten, as this usually indicates the shellfish was not alive before the cooking process began.
Not at all. When fresh, these shellfish have a clean, briny scent of the ocean and a mild, slightly sweet flavor. When simmered in a rich sauce of garlic, white wine, and tomatoes, the result is savory and bright rather than “fishy.” If you notice a strong or unpleasant odor before cooking, it is a sign that they are not fresh and should not be used.
PEI (Prince Edward Island) mussels are widely considered the gold standard for home cooks. These rope-grown mussels are consistently sized, have a sweet flavor, and are generally much cleaner and less gritty than wild-harvested varieties. They are readily available in most grocery stores and provide a reliable, high-quality result every time.
This dish is best served immediately while the seafood is tender. However, you can prepare the tomato sauce base up to a day in advance and simply reheat it before adding the fresh shellfish.
Place any remaining portions in an airtight container and keep them in the refrigerator for up to one day. To reheat, gently warm them on the stovetop over low heat just until the sauce is hot to prevent the meat from becoming rubbery.
🦞 Other Classic Shellfish Recipes
Ready to make a restaurant-quality dish in about 20 to 30 minutes? Go for it!
And when you do, be sure to take a photo of it, post it on Instagram, and tag @HowToFeedaLoon and hashtag #HowToFeedaLoon!
Easy Mussels Marinara Recipe
Video
Equipment
- 1 Large skillet
- 1 Pot for boiling pasta If serving with pasta
Ingredients
- 1½ lbs fresh mussels scrubbed and debearded
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium shallot chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup white wine
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 28 oz can whole tomatoes preferably San Marzano, hand-squeezed, with liquid
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped, optional
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (juice from 1 lemon)
- toasted bread slices
- linguine or spaghetti, cooked
Instructions
- Discard any cracked or open mussels that do not close when tapped. Rince, scrub shells, and remove beards. Keep chilled.1½ lbs fresh mussels
- Heat olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add chopped shallots and sauté until tender. Stir in the garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds, stirring often.2 tablespoon olive oil, 1 medium shallot, 4 cloves garlic
- Add the wine and simmer for about 3 minutes, until slightly reduced. Use a wooden spatula to deglaze the pan (scrape up any stuck-on bits).½ cup white wine
- Stir in the sugar, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Carefully add the hand-crushed tomatoes (with juice) and gently cook for about 8 to 10 minutes, until slightly thickened.1 teaspoon sugar, ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon Kosher salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, 1 28 oz can whole tomatoes
- Add the mussels and gently toss to coat. Cover and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, shaking the pan once or twice, until the mussels open. Discard any that remain closed.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the butter until melted. Garnish with chopped basil and parsley (if using), and stir in the fresh lemon juice.2 tablespoon unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon fresh basil, 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Serve at once with toasted bread and cooked pasta (if desired).toasted bread slices, linguine
Notes
- The Tap Test: Before cooking, tap any open mussels against a hard surface, such as a counter. If they don’t snap shut, they are no longer alive—discard them immediately. Similarly, discard any mussels that remain tightly closed after the 5–7 minute simmer.
- Cleaning & De-bearding: Scrub the shells under cold water to remove grit. If you see a “beard” (a brown, hairy bit), pull it firmly toward the hinge of the shell to remove it. Do this just before cooking to keep the mussels fresh.
- Don’t Overcook: Mussels are finished the moment they pop open. Leaving them on the heat longer will cause the meat to become tough and rubbery.
- The Glossy Finish: For a true restaurant-style sauce, ensure your butter is cold when you stir it in at the end. This helps it emulsify into the tomato base, creating a velvety, glossy texture.
- Alcohol-Free Option: If you prefer not to use white wine, substitute with an equal amount of seafood or chicken stock and add an extra squeeze of lemon juice for brightness.
- The Discard Bowl: When serving, provide a large, empty bowl in the center of the table for guests to place their empty shells.
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