Mussels in Tomato Sauce

Made from the finest ingredients, Mussels in Tomato Sauce makes a perfect flavorful starter to a meal or appetizer. Pair the Mussels with pasta, seafood, salad, and a glass of wine for an ideal swanky meal, or serve it as a party appetizer to impress your seafood-loving guests.

There is a ton of flavor in this Mussels in Tomato Sauce recipe from start to finish the layers of olive oil, unsalted butter, shallots, garlic, crushed red pepper, San Marzano tomatoes, dry white wine, kosher salt, mussels, flat-leaf parsley, lemon wedges, and french bread to sop up the delectable juices from the Mussels in Tomato Sauce.

 

 

Mussels in Tomato Sauce is simple to make, classy recipe to serve tableside yet entirely economical for make for special occasions, Date nights, or even the holidays. Serve Mussels in Tomato Sauce over pasta to make a delicious meal, or serve it as a starter with crusty bread and your favorite wine.

 

 

Equipment Suggested

• Sharp kitchen knife

• Cutting Board

• Measuring spoons

• Measuring cup

• Dutch Oven or deep metal skillet

• Wooden Spoon

• Serving spoon

 

 

 

 

 

Components for Mussels in Tomato Sauce

• Extra-virgin olive oil– Choose quality olive oil. Look at the origin  “Product of Italy” does not necessarily indicate that the olives are grown or pressed in Italy, only that it was packaged there. To be considered extra-virgin olive oil, an oil must be “cold” pressed at a temperature below 85˚F— extracted without heat or chemicals. A good bottle of extra-virgin olive oil will have a sell-by date (usually one year after it is pressed) on the label.

• Unsalted butter– Unsalted butter contains no added salt. It is butter in its purest form. Unsalted butter also has a fresher taste than salted butter. In terms of flavor, unsalted butter has more of a mellow sweetness than salted butter. It’s best used in baking, 

• Shallot– The flavor of shallot is much more delicate, softer, and less abrasive than that of an onion.  Shallots are alliums, in the same family as white, red, and yellow onions, along with leeks, scallions, and garlic. They tend to have a flavor that borders on sweet, acidic, spicy, and sharp all at the same time.

• Garlic– Gives a beautiful aromatic flavor to the mussels recipe. I recommend using freshly chopped cloves of garlic only. Do not substitute minced jarred garlic for the best flavor results.

• Crushed red pepper– Adds a little kick to the flavor of the mussels. Red Pepper is a common name used for all hot red peppers. Ground red pepper is a generic name that may have cayenne but will also include other red chilis as part of the mix.

• San Marzano tomatoes – True authentic San Marzanos are never sold chopped, diced, or pureed. They should also have the D.O.P. stamp to authenticate that they are genuinely from Italy. For best results, purchase in a carton or glass jar only.

• Dry white wine– Only use wine that you would drink. Do not use cooking wine. For  this Mussels recipe, you want a wine with a high acidity known in wine parlance as “crisp.” Prime examples are Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, and Sémillon.

• Kosher salt– Kosher salt has more comprehensive, more coarse grains than table salt. The wider grains salt food in a more subtle way than table salt. Using kosher salt enhances the flavor of foods instead of making them taste salty. Kosher salt has no iodine.

• Mussels- Mussels should have a wet appearance and smell like the salty ocean, fresh and clean. (If the mussels smell a little off, or appears to be open already, then you’re going to want to skip them.) Fresh mussels can be appropriately stored for about 48 hours before having to cook or freeze.

• Fresh flat-leaf parsley- Adding fresh parsley to the mussels recipe contributes a superior vibrancy to the dish and helps add a  layer of flavor to the other ingredients. The parsley stems have more flavor and aroma than the leaves and can be used in the recipe if adequately chopped.

• Lemon wedges –  Helps to brighten the mussels’ flavor and works well to counter many of the salty flavors. The salt and the acid balance each other while adding a delicious layer of flavor to the mussels.

• French bread- This is used for sopping up the delicious sauce of the  Mussels in Tomato Sauce. 

 

See the recipe card for Print options, exact ingredient amounts, instructions, and nutritional values.

 

 

 

 

Method

1. Heat the extra-virgin olive oil and unsalted butter in a deep large metal skillet or Dutch Oven over medium-high until butter melts, about 1-2 minutes. Add the finely chopped shallot cook, occasionally stirring until the shallot is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the finely chopped garlic and the crushed red pepper; cook for about 1-2 minutes. Add the San Marano tomatoes, dry white wine, and kosher salt; bring to a slight simmer.

2. Add the clean and debearded mussels to the tomato sauce. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook until the mussels start to open – 3 to 5 minutes (Discard any mussels that do not open.) Stir in the flat-parsley. Lightly toss, and spoon into eight bowls. Top the mussels with the remaining reserved flat-leafed parsley and lemon wedges. Serve with toasted French bread.

 

 

 

 

 

Sharing is caring!