mussels in tomato sauce

Mussels in tomato sauce cook in just 25 minutes, bringing a tangy, garlicky broth. Simple technique, great to mop up with rustic bread.

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Total Time 31

Servings: 4 servings

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Calories: 320

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

Main

1.5 kg fresh mussels scrubbed and debearded
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion finely chopped
3 cloves garlic sliced
400 g canned chopped tomatoes
0.5 cup dry white wine
0.5 teaspoon sea salt
0.25 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
0.25 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes optional
2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
1 small lemon cut into wedges, for serving

Method

Scrub and debeard the mussels. Rinse them well under cold water. Toss any that are open and don’t close when tapped.
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté about 3 minutes until soft, then stir in the sliced garlic and cook 1 more minute.
Pour in the canned chopped tomatoes, white wine, sea salt, black pepper, dried oregano, and (if using) red pepper flakes. Stir and let the sauce simmer 10–12 minutes, uncovered, until slightly thickened.
Add all the mussels to the pot. Increase the heat to medium-high. Cover and steam the mussels for 5–7 minutes, shaking the pot once halfway, until every mussel opens.
Take off the lid. Use a slotted spoon to pull out and discard any mussels that didn’t open. Stir in most of the chopped parsley, saving a little for garnish.
Ladle the mussels and tomato sauce into deep bowls. Top with more parsley and serve with lemon wedges on the side, plus rustic bread if you want to mop up the sauce.

Notes

I end up making mussels in tomato sauce on nights when I want something that looks fancy but is fast. It’s a classic in my family because you get a broth that begs for bread, but the hardest part is just scrubbing mussels.

Technique notes (from lots of trial and error)

When cooking mussels, get the pot as hot as you dare before adding them. Mussels open faster and stay tender if they steam quickly. If even one is refusing to open after 7 minutes, I toss it – don’t risk it.

You’ll notice I start the sauce with onion first, but add the garlic just a minute later – this keeps the garlic from burning. I always add half the salt first, then taste after the mussels open. Mussel liquid is briny and will change things.

Don’t overreduce the sauce before adding mussels. It should be scoopable with bread but not super thick, since the mussels add more liquid. If you end up with a watery broth, just simmer it uncovered for a few minutes after pulling out the cooked mussels.

Variations and swaps

You can swap canned chopped tomatoes for fresh tomatoes if it’s summer and you’ve got ripe ones – just chop very small and add an extra pinch of salt. No white wine? I’ve used a splash of vermouth or even water in a pinch, though water is less flavorful.

Chopped fennel or celery is nice with the onions for extra depth. I don’t recommend jarred tomato sauce here; it’s too sweet and masks the seafood flavor.

Storage notes

Extras keep one day, covered, in the fridge. Reheat gently on the stove over low heat, just until warmed—overheating turns mussels rubbery.