I’ve developed several different seafood pastas for this website (see spaghetti busara and pescatore), and I continue to think of new ones – not least because I’m a seafood enthusiast and also because they’re one of the best low-effort/high-reward meals out there. And one that is particularly striking is this recipe for spaghetti with mussels.
Mussels are one of those things that feel very fancy and intimidating to make, but they are incredibly simple to deal with.
This recipe steams them in a tomato and white wine sauce and then finishes the pasta in the same sauce. The results are bright, fresh and perfect for company – but also simple enough to a weeknight meal!
How to Make Italian Mussel Spaghetti
The first step is to clean and debeard your mussels. This is also a great opportunity to assess if your mussels are still alive and that the shells are intact.
Discard any mussels that don’t shut tightly within a minute or so after prodding or whose shells are damaged.
Moving on, it’s time to get the sauce together. For this, start with some olive oil and chili flakes in a large saucepan. Set this over medium heat and once the oil is shimmering, go ahead and add a diced shallot along with a pinch of salt.
Cook the shallot just until it’s softened, only a few minutes.
Then, add in some minced garlic and tomato paste and cook for a minute longer, just until fragrant. At this point, you can add in some diced fresh tomatoes.
Cook the tomatoes until they release their moisture and become jammy in texture – about five minutes.
After the tomatoes reach their desired stage, pour over some dry white wine. Cook this just until the wine has lost the strong alcoholic smell, only a couple of minutes.
Now, you can go ahead and add in your mussels, give them a stir, and cover the pot. This is also a good time to put your pasta on!
Cook the mussels until they’ve all opened wide, this usually takes about 7-10 minutes.
Use a slotted spoon to remove them from the pot and get onto finishing your pasta! Add the cooked pasta to the sauce in the mussel pot, along with some fresh parsley.
Toss the pasta in the sauce, ensuring it’s evenly coated, adding a splash of pasta cooking water if necessary to adjust the consistency.
Then, you’re basically ready to serve! Portion out the pasta and top it with all of your delicious mussels; just be sure to discard any that haven’t opened all the way!
Spaghetti alle Cozze (Pasta with Mussels)
Ingredients
- 30 ml (2 tbsp) extra virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp chili flakes
- 1 shallot diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 Roma tomatoes diced
- 120 ml (½ cup) dry white wine
- 1 kg (2 lb) mussels cleaned & de-bearded
- 2 tbsp parsley
- 500 g (1 lb) spaghetti
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, add the olive oil and chili flakes to a large pot and set over medium heat. Once shimmering, add the shallot and a generous pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened – about 3 minutes.
- Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 1 more minute. Add the tomatoes along with another pinch of salt and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the tomatoes begin to break down and release their moisture.
- Pour the wine over the tomatoes and cook until the strong alcoholic smell has gone, 1-2 minutes. Then, add the mussels all at once and cover the pot. Cook until the mussels have all opened wide – about 7-10 minutes.
- Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook for 2 minutes less than the package suggests. Do not drain – or if you do drain, reserve roughly 120-250 ml (½-1 cup) of the cooking water. Use a slotted spoon to remove the mussels from the pot and set them aside. Use tongs to lift the cooked pasta from the cooking water into the pot in which you cooked the mussels. Add the parsley and toss to coat in the sauce, adding a splash of pasta cooking water, if needed, to adjust the consistency.
- Serve the pasta, topping with the cooked mussels and more parsley, if desired.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutritional information is automatically generated and provided as guidance only. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Making pasta alle cozze is a wonderful way to enjoy fresh mussels at home. It’s a simple dish that looks incredibly impressive.
Are you after a recipe for spaghetti with mussels? Have any questions? Let me know in the comments!
