Mussels in Spicy Tomato Sauce
If you subscribe to my Monthly Newsletter, you know my oven has been broken for more than a month now. Parts for my discontinued range are hard to come by, and even though internal parts are sometimes interchangeable between makes and models, the pandemic has added another wrinkle by greatly limiting the availability of parts that contain a microchip. Thankfully my stove top still works so we’re not starving. All this to say, I’ve been very uninspired as far as recipe development goes. I’ve either been cooking very basic things that aren’t worthy of being shared, or I’ve made things that are already published here on the blog which is why you haven’t heard much from me lately…
BUT all that changes today as I share my personal recipe for Mussels with Spicy Tomato Sauce, which happens to be one of my youngest daughter’s favorite meals. Seriously, it’s one of those recipes where nobody talks at the dinner table because they’re all too busy stuffing their faces and making scrummy, nummy, yummy noises as they eat. Yes, it’s that delicious!
Serve the recipe alone with lots of crusty bread to soak up all the delicious sauce, or serve it over a bowl of pasta. Check out the “Notes” section below the recipe to find out how many pounds of mussels you need per person, as well as lots of other helpful tips.
Another thing to consider - this recipe is a little involved so you might want to save it for a weekend. If you must have it on a weeknight, you can streamline the process by chopping all the veggies and making the sauce 5 or 6 days ahead (be sure to store in airtight containers as there’s a lot of onion and garlic that could perfume the inside of your refrigerator!).
To make the sauce, gather all your ingredients (ignore the sliced garlic - it won’t be needed until we cook the mussels). I purchase my pancetta already diced, and I use a press for my garlic, but the onions require a bit more effort as they need to be very finely minced. I really think finely minced is the way to go here - the pieces should be small enough that they enhance the texture and body of the sauce - you can’t achieve that with larger pieces of onion (click on the photo of ingredients to get a better look at how finely minced the onions are).
In a 3 or 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat, saute the olive oil, onions, pancetta, garlic, oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper together for several minutes until the onions soften and become translucent in color.
Add the tomato paste and saute for another minute or two. I love tomato paste that comes in a tube, and I especially love storing the tube in a tube squeezer. It’s so fun to twist out the exact amount of paste I need.
Now add the white wine, crushed tomatoes, and a whole sprig of basil. Simmer for about 30 minutes and set aside until needed. On its own, this sauce is the bomb, but just wait until we add all the yumminess still to come. Oh my!!
Now for the mussels. Soak them in cool water for 15 minutes, then scrub and rinse them, discarding any that are broken or open ones that don’t close within a minute or so of tapping against the shell. If you find any “beards” attached, pull them off using your thumb and the edge of a sharp knife (or use a clean pair of tweezers).
To cook the mussels, heat the olive oil, finely minced onions, and crushed red pepper flakes over medium-high heat for several minutes until the onions are translucent. Then add the sliced garlic and saute for 1 minute.
Immediately stir in the white wine and bring to a boil; reduce liquid by half.
Stir the full tomato sauce recipe into the reduced oil/wine mixture; stir to combine. Stir in the cleaned mussels, being sure to coat well with the sauce (it’s okay if some mussels are submerged under the sauce).
Cover the Dutch oven and allow mussels to cook for 4-5 minutes; uncover and stir to be sure they’re all open. Discard any mussels that fail to open after cooking. Sprinkle liberally with chopped fresh parsley and serve immediately over pasta or with lots of crust bread. See notes below to how to store and reheat leftovers.
Have plenty of extra napkins on hand. Enjoy!
Items used to make this recipe:
4 quart saucepan https://amzn.to/3ehXbqa
5.5 quart Dutch Oven https://amzn.to/3efiA3o
7.25 quart Dutch Oven https://amzn.to/3eeVD09
garlic press (all stainless and dishwasher safe) https://amzn.to/2RJIrJ3
tube squeezer https://amzn.to/3xjzSoO
my favorite chefs knife https://amzn.to/3ed2aIU
Muir Glen tomatoes https://amzn.to/3eeCdIW
SMT tomatoes https://amzn.to/3ejOQSK
Cento tomatoes https://amzn.to/2QIES5C
Pomi tomatoes https://amzn.to/3x6HyKN
Mussels in Spicy Tomato Sauce
makes 5-6 servings (8-10 if serving over pasta)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup finely minced onion
4 ounces pancetta, diced (1/4-inch pieces)
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3/4 cup white wine (see notes for substitution)
28 ounce can crushed tomatoes (suggested brands listed above)
1 whole sprig fresh basil
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup finely minced onion
2 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/2 cups white wine (see notes below for substitution)
5 pounds mussels, cleaned and de-bearded
chopped parsley for garnish
pasta or crusty bread for serving
In a 3 or 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat, saute the olive oil, onions, pancetta, garlic, oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper together for several minutes until the onions soften and become translucent in color.
Add the tomato paste and saute for another minute or two before adding the white wine, crushed tomatoes, and sprig of basil; simmer on low for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
(see notes below for instructions on how to clean mussels) In a 5.5-quart dutch oven or larger, heat the olive oil, finely minced onions, and crushed red pepper flakes over medium-high heat for several minutes until the onions are translucent; add the sliced garlic and saute for 1 minute.
Immediately stir in the white wine and bring to a boil; reduce liquid by half.
Stir the full tomato sauce recipe into the reduced oil/wine mixture; stir to combine.
Stir in the cleaned mussels, being sure to coat well with the sauce (it’s okay if some mussels are submerged under the sauce).
Cover the Dutch oven and allow mussels to cook for 4-5 minutes or until all the shells open, stirring to be sure all the shells are open (discard any mussels that fail to open after cooking).
Sprinkle liberally with chopped fresh parsley and serve immediately over pasta or with lots of crust bread. See notes below to how to store and reheat leftovers.
If you don’t have white wine, you can substitute 2 parts low or no-sodium chicken stock and 1 part white wine vinegar).
Store fresh mussels in an open container (or in their mesh bag placed on a tray), draped with a damp towel for 2-3 days. The mussels need to breathe so be sure to remove any plastic wrapping right away. They’ll also release water as they sit so be sure to pour that off as it accumulates.
To clean mussels, soak in cool water for 15 minutes, agitating them every few minutes, then scrub well with a brush or sponge and rinse. Do not allow mussels to soak for more than 15 minutes. No need to add flour or cornmeal to the water. It’s completely unnecessary.
When washing fresh mussels, discard any that are cracked, broken, or do not close within a minute or so of tapping on its shell.
Pull off any stingy “beards” by grasping with your thumb and the edge of a sharp knife, or use a pair of clean tweezers. Don’t do this until right before you cook the mussels.
After cooking, discard any mussels that have not opened.
To store leftovers, separate the mussels from the sauce and store each in its own airtight container.
To reheat leftovers, heat the sauce alone, then stir in the mussels to gently heat through. If you have a large amount of sauce, you can stir the mussels with their shells into the hot sauce. If you don’t have a lot of sauce, remove the mussels from their shells before stirring them into the hot sauce.
Plan on purchasing 1 pound of mussels per person if serving alone as a main entree. Plan on 1/2 pound per person if serving over pasta.
I developed this recipe using 5 pounds of fresh mussels (in their shells), but you can use anywhere from 3-6 pounds of fresh mussels without having to reduce the amount of sauce in the recipe. Note - if cooking 6 pounds of mussels, use a 7-quart dutch oven (5 pounds or less can be made in a 5.5-quart dutch oven).
Leftover sauce can be frozen for use later, or use it as a braise for your favorite mild white fish (cod, grouper, haddock, etc). I suggest serving the fish and sauce over rice.
