Though it may look complex, my Linguine with Mussels in spicy red sauce couldn’t be easier to make! With tomatoes, garlic, basil, and fresh mussels, this easy pasta dish is just perfect for busy summer nights!
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The perfect summer mussels recipe!
Just when you start to think that summer might be relaxing, life comes along and gives you a million things to do! So when I’m super busy, but still need to get something on the table that tastes great, simple seafood pastas like my linguine with mussels in a spicy red sauce, lemon garlic scallop pasta, and linguine alle vongole are what I reach for!
Mussels are fairly inexpensive, taste great, and seem to be the perfect match for garlicky spicy red sauce and linguine. The fresh basil is the perfect finishing touch to this simple dish.
I like to serve this one, and any seafood pasta, with some crusty bread, and if the mood strikes, a cold glass of crisp sauvignon blanc!
By the way, while this one’s ideal for summer, it’s an excellent option for Christmas Eve’s Feast of the 7 Fishes!
Recipe Ingredients
All ingredients for this recipe are shown in the pic below and special notes are made in this bulleted list to assist you.
- Mussels. Depending on where you buy your mussels, they may have already been debearded, but it’s always good to give them a scrubbing and check them over and use a towel to remove any that may have been overlooked. Simply grab the beard with a towel and pull it out. I’m using small black Prince Edward Island mussels for this recipe, but you can use larger ones if that’s what’s available to you.
- Tomatoes. I used canned plum tomatoes for this recipe, but as I was making it, I had a handful of cherry tomatoes lying around and threw them in as well. While these are not included in the recipe ingredient list, feel free to add some if you’d like!
- Wine. My go-to white wine for cooking is sauvignon blanc, but any dry white wine will do.
- Basil. The flavor of fresh basil pairs so well with garlicky red sauce. If you don’t have fresh basil, opt for fresh parsley instead. I do not recommend using dried basil.
- Garlic. Yes, I’m using 10 cloves of garlic! To some of you, that may seem like a lot; to others, it may not be anywhere near enough. Use the amount that suits your taste!
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
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How to make it
Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.
- Saute the onions and garlic in extra virgin olive oil, then add the red pepper flakes.
- Add the white wine and boil until the liquid reduces by half.
- Lower the heat and add the tomatoes.
- Add the cleaned mussels to the sauce. After 5-7 minutes, discard any mussels that haven’t opened.
- Add the al dente linguine along with pasta water and mix well.
- Taste test and adjust salt and pepper, then finish with fresh basil and serve immediately.
Recipe tip
When cooking clams or mussels, it’s important to discard any that haven’t opened within 5-7 minutes of cooking, as that means they were likely dead before cooking and aren’t safe to consume.
More seafood recipes
If you love mussels and seafood in general, give these other incredible (and easy) seafood recipes a try!
- Mussels in white wine sauce
- Mussels marinara
- Zuppa di pesce
- Linguine with red clam sauce
- Clams with garlicky red sauce
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Linguine with Mussels in Spicy Red Sauce
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion finely diced
- 10 cloves garlic sliced
- 2 teaspoons crushed hot red pepper flakes optional or to taste
- 1 cup (240ml) dry white wine
- 1 28-ounce can plum tomatoes blender pulsed
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 pound (454g) linguine
- 2 pounds (908g) mussels debearded, cleaned, and scrubbed
- 2 cups (480ml) pasta water will most likely not need it all
- 1/4 cup chopped basil
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Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.
- In a large pan heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the onions along with a pinch of salt. Once the onions turn soft add the garlic and saute until golden (about 2-3 minutes). Add the red pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds more.
- Add in the white wine and turn the heat to high. Boil for 2 minutes or until the liquid reduces by about half. Turn heat down to medium and add in the tomatoes. Simmer the sauce, stirring occasionally.
- Meanwhile begin cooking the linguine to 1 minute less than al dente.
- Add the cleaned mussels to the sauce and cover. The mussels will open within a few minutes.
- After 5-7 minutes discard any mussels that have not opened. Add the linguine to the pan along with a 1/2 cup of pasta water. Mix well and cook until the linguine is al dente then remove the pan from the heat.
- Taste test and adjust salt and pepper levels if required. If the pasta is too dry, add more of the pasta water, a bit at a time, to achieve the perfect consistency. Add in the chopped basil. Serve with crusty Italian bread. Enjoy!
Notes
- Check the mussels. Thoroughly clean and look over the mussels. With a clean towel remove any beards that were overlooked during the packaging process.
- Cook time. Any mussels that do not open in 5-7 minutes cooking time should be discarded as they are most likely dead.
- Leftovers. Reheating leftover seafood in the microwave is not recommended. If you must reheat mussels do so in a saucepan over low heat.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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