Mussels Marinara

This simple mussels recipe is great as an appetizer, main dish, or even a party food or tapas. Don’t let the name fool you, mussels marinara is quite easy to make and is sure to impress.

green mussels marinara in a bowl with a side of lemon wedge and a shell pot

Mussels Marinara, which is the Italian version of Moules Mariniere, is a very popular seafood dish along the Mediterranean with seemingly every town having their own special recipe. The main difference between the French and Italian version is the former does not use tomato. A recipe like this is so much easier than stuffed or baked mussels – perfect for a large group of guests.

For this recipe you can use whatever mussels you prefer. Traditionally black Mediterranean mussels were used, but I actually prefer using New Zealand Green Mussels as they are quite a bit larger, and much sweeter – which balances well with the garlic and shallots.

How To Make An Easy Mussels Marinara

Mussels Marinara ingredients with pasta and red chili flakes on a table

My easy mussels marinara recipe not only makes a great standalone dish, but is also my base for things like mussels in pasta or a fiery cozze all’arrabbiata. As you can see in the photo above, I did add some spaghetti after making this recipe.

Ingredients

  • 300 grams Mussels – you can use black or green, just make sure to clean them beforehand.
  • 500 grams Tomato Puree
  • 150 ml Dry Vermouth – you can use regular white wine instead, but I almost always sub vermouth in if a recipe calls for white wine.
  • 1 Shallot – finely chopped
  • 3 cloves Garlic – thinly sliced
  • 1 tsp Dry Oregano
  • 1 tsp Dry Basil
  • 4 Green Onions – chopped
  • 1/2 tsp Salt – but taste and adjust the sauce before adding the mussels
  • Black Pepper – freshly cracked, to taste
  • 2 tbsp Olive Oil
  • 1 tbsp Parsley – freshly chopped, optional

Quick and Easy Steamed Mussels

A super easy way to steam mussels is in the oven! For frozen mussels just lay your mussels down on a baking tray, cover with foil, and pop in the oven at 180C for about 10 minutes. If you are using fresh mussels then you can use a steamer basket, or just pop them in boiling water JUST until they open their shells (1-2 minutes).

Easy Mussels Marinara Sauce

Add your olive oil to a pan on medium head, and add the garlic and onion. Cook for about 30 seconds as you don’t want to overcook the garlic. Once everything gets fragrant, add the dry vermouth, cook down for a minute, then move directly to the next step.

stirring the marinara sauce in a pan on a cooktop

Add the tomato puree and the rest of the ingredients sans parsley to the pan. Bring it up to high heat, and stir while reducing until you get a thickened sauce. Taste it once you reach your desired consistency, and adjust salt and pepper as needed. If you are using parsley, add it right at the end.

Add in the mussels and move them around to completely coat in the sauce. Let them cook for a minute in the sauce so they absorb the delicious marinara flavor, then plate and serve. You don’t want to cook them in the sauce too long or they will get tough.

green mussels marinara in a bowl

Sprinkle over some more chopped parsley after you plate the mussels marinara and serve with a lemon wedge on the side. Don’t forget, for the ultimate presentation, a pot on the side so guests can toss the empty shells.

green mussels marinara in a bowl

Mussels Marinara

This classic way of preparing mussels is still very popular. Not to mention how many different ways you can serve mussels marinara to your guests.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Appetizer, Main Course, Main Dish, Side Dish, Tapas
Cuisine European, Italian, Mediterranean
Servings 2 people
Calories 117 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Pan
  • 1 Baking Tray | optional, if you are steaming frozen mussels

Ingredients
  

  • 300 grams Mussels you can use black or green just make sure to clean them beforehand.
  • 500 grams Tomato Puree
  • 150 ml Dry Vermouth you can use regular white wine instead but I almost always sub vermouth in if a recipe calls for white wine.
  • 1 Shallot finely chopped
  • 3 cloves Garlic thinly sliced
  • 1 tsp Dry Oregano
  • 1 tsp Dry Basil
  • 4 Green Onions chopped
  • 1/2 tsp Salt but taste and adjust the sauce before adding the mussels
  • Black Pepper freshly cracked, to taste
  • 2 tbsp Olive Oil
  • 1 tbsp Parsley freshly chopped, optional

Instructions
 

Cooking The Mussels

  • Frozen: Place the mussels meat side up on a baking tray. Cover with foil and place in the oven at 180C for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
    Fresh: Add mussels to a pot of boiling water and cook just until the shells open, about 1-2 minutes. Immediately drain and set aside.

Marinara

  • While the mussels are cooking you can start the marinara. Add the olive oil to a pan on medium heat and then toss in the chopped shallot and thinly sliced garlic. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds, then add in the vermouth.
  • Let the vermouth cook off a bit before adding the rest of the ingredients sans parsley. Bring the heat up to high and reduce by roughly 50% while stirring constantly.
  • Add the mussels to the sauce and mix to coat completely. Let cook in the sauce another minute to absorb the flavor and heat back up, mix in the chopped parsley at the end, then plate and serve. Garnish with more fresh chopped parsley and a side of lemon wedge.
Keyword Mussels, Seafood, Shellfish
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