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Christmas

Spicy Mussels Marinara

December 21, 2024
5 5 out of 5 stars /
2 Ratings5 total ratings /
Photo by César Pérez
  • Prep time 15 minutes
  • Cook time 45 minutes
  • Serves 4
Author Notes

This is my nod to the Italian-American tradition of the Feast of the Seven Fishes which takes place on Christmas Eve. This dish is ridiculously simple and comes together with just a handful of ingredients. My version features a robust, chunky marinara that isn't fussy at all. The mussels steam right in the marinara itself and gets finished with a heavy dusting of garlicky fried breadcrumbs (because you better not let someone's Nonna catch you adding cheese to a seafood dish!) Linguini or bucatini would make a delicious bed for this marinara, but some good crusty bread on the side would do the trick as well. —César Pérez

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 2 pounds fresh mussels, scrubbed and debearded
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • Salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 (28 ounce) can whole San Marzano tomatoes
  • 1 cup dry white wine (such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc)
  • FOR THE GARLICKY BREADCRUMBS
  • 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, grated
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Fresh parsley, chopped
Directions
  1. Clean the mussels: Rinse the mussels under cold running water. Discard any with cracked or broken shells. Remove the "beards" (the fibrous threads protruding from the shell) by pulling them firmly.
  2. Sauté aromatics: In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.
  3. Deglaze with wine: Pour in the white wine and bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Let the wine reduce slightly, about 2-3 minutes.
  4. Add the tomatoes: Stir in the tomatoes, oregano, salt, and pepper. Crush the tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon into a chunky sauce. Bring the sauce to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes.
  5. Add the mussels: Increase the heat to medium-high. Add the mussels to the pot, cover tightly, and steam for 5-7 minutes, or until the mussels have opened. Discard any mussels that remain closed after cooking.
  6. Make the garlicky breadcrumbs: In a skillet over medium heat, heat olive oil, then add grated garlic and sauté until fragrant and lightly golden (being careful not to burn it); add panko breadcrumbs and cook, stirring frequently, until evenly golden brown and crispy; remove from heat and immediately season with salt and pepper.
  7. Finish and serve: Serve in a large platter over pasta or with crusty bread on the side. Finish with a generous sprinkle of garlicky breadcrumbs and fresh chopped parsley.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

1 Review

rjsimon December 31, 2024
We very much loved this recipe. However, the ingredients call for a bay leaf and the instructions call for oregano. So I used both and it was delicious. So unless I missed it. It would be nice to have it corrected.
This is a great alternative to a more savory traditional mussels recipe.
 

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