Mussels Marinara

Name: Mussels Marinara
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Yield: 4 people
Ingredients: 5 pounds mussels; 2 tablespoons olive oil or butter; 1 onion large; 2 celery stalks diced; 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning or oregano; 4 cloves garlic; 1/4 cup basil pesto divided; 2 cups canned cherry tomatoes with liquid; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon black pepper; 1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes; 1 pound cooked spaghetti pasta; fresh basil

User Reviews

5.0

24 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Servings
4 people
Calories
2442 kcal
Course
Main Course
Cuisine
Italian, American

Mussels Marinara

Quade Maldonado

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This Mussels Marinara is super tasty, quick and easy to make! Served over pasta for a Mussel Pasta meal you’ll love! I also share my favroite tips about mussels and a fun video for the recipe!

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Ingredients

Servings

5 pounds mussels fresh water mussels, preferably organic
2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
1 onion large diced
2 celery stalks diced
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning or oregano
4 cloves garlic minced
1/4 cup basil pesto divided
2 cups canned cherry tomatoes with liquid
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes more or less to taste
1 pound cooked spaghetti pasta
fresh basil minced

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Notes

Cleaning mussels is the first step to making sure the mussels are fresh and ready to use. Rinse them under cold water, remove any beards or threads hanging from the shell.If you find any mussel shell open at that point, discard the mussel right away before cooking.Make the marinara sauce using your favorite marinara flavors. I add celery here although it’t not typical, but because it pairs so well with the mussels.Make sure you sauté the onions until they’re slightly golden before proceeding with your recipe. This is the best way to make sure your sauce won’t taste like strong onion.Cook down the marinara before adding in the mussels. Remember the mussels will let out a good amount of liquid into the sauce as well.If you prefer using fresh basil only to flavor the marinara and mussels, do so, however basil pesto is far more concentrated and tasty!I urge you to make my Basil Pesto recipe, plus you’ll find all the tips you need for making a whole bunch and freezing it.When you add in the mussels to the pot, make sure to give them a good toss in the sauce and close the lid.5-8 minutes later, the mussel shells should open up. Cook them for an extra 5 minutes to allow them to soak up more sauce and flavors.If any mussel shell after cooking remains closed and tight, discard the mussel right away. It’s not safe to eat.Now serve the mussels marinara over pasta or with crusty bread and enjoy!