Mussels Marinara is one of the simplest and most flavorful seafood dishes you can make! Fresh mussels are simmered in a garlicky tomato and white wine sauce with some red pepper flakes and finished with fresh basil. The best part is this one can be ready in about 30 minutes.
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One of the easiest Italian seafood dishes
When it comes to easy seafood dishes, Mussels Marinara or more commonly called mussels in red sauce is at the top of my list. Not only is it an iconic Italian-American dish, it’s also incredibly flavorful!
Since mussels are typically at the less expensive end of the seafood spectrum, this dish is more budget-friendly than clams in red sauce, and if you buy enough you can do half mussels marinara and half mussels in white wine sauce.
Mussels marinara is great for Fridays in Lent or for Christmas Eve alongside clams oreganata and calamari salad. It’s an easier and less involved alternative to zuppa di pesce. Be sure to serve it with plenty of crusty bread because you will not want to waste a drop of the delicious sauce. You can also serve with pasta!
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. I’m using Prince Edward Island mussels (PEI) since that’s what is available to me where I live, however, you can use any variety of mussels you’d like. See my top tips section below for information on cleaning your mussels.
- Tomatoes. You can also use plum tomatoes that have been blender pulsed or crushed tomatoes to save time.
- White wine. My go-to white wine for cooking is a sauvignon blanc but you can also use pinot grigio.
- Garlic. I like a lot of garlic in my mussels marinara and am using 6 cloves. You can use more or less depending on your own personal taste.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make mussels marinara
Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.
- In a large pan over medium heat saute the garlic in olive oil until lightly golden, about 2-3 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes and cook for another 30 seconds.
- Add the white wine, turn the heat to high, and boil for 2 minutes or until the liquid reduces by about half.
- Turn the heat down to medium and add the tomatoes. Simmer the sauce for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Taste test the sauce and adjust salt and pepper if needed.
- Add the mussels and mix so the sauce coats each mussel, and cover with a tight-fitting lid. The mussels will open within a few minutes.
- After 5 minutes discard any mussels that haven’t opened as they were likely dead prior to cooking. Turn off the heat and taste test again, adjusting salt and pepper if needed. Add the chopped basil and stir. Serve with crusty bread and enjoy!
Top tips
- Cleaning the mussels. Always thoroughly clean and inspect the mussels whether they are cultivated or wild. To clean them, place the mussels in cool, not cold, water with 1/4-1/2 cup of salt per gallon of water. Mix around and let the mussels sit for at least an hour. The water will encourage them to filter any remaining sand and most importantly show any beards that have not been removed. To remove the beard grab it with a paper towel (the beard will slip from your hand if you try to pull it barehanded) and pull the beard towards the joint of the mussel. Discard the beard and set that mussel aside. Go through them all and when satisfied give the mussels a thorough scrubbing with a hard bristle brush to remove any debris. Rinse them one more time and they are now ready to cook.
- Discard unopened mussels. Any mussels that are unopened after 5-7 minutes or so of cooking were most likely dead before cooking them and should not be consumed.
- Serve promptly. Mussels Marinara, and most seafood dishes in general, are better when served right away. I do not recommend using a microwave to reheat mussels; if you need to reheat, do so in a saucepan over low heat.
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Mussels Marinara
Ingredients
- 2 pounds (908g) mussels cleaned and scrubbed
- 1/4 cup (60ml) olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic sliced
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed hot red pepper flakes optional
- 1/2 cup (120ml) dry white wine
- 1 28-ounce can plum tomatoes blender pulsed
- 1/4 cup chopped basil
- salt and pepper to taste
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Instructions
- In a large pan heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the garlic.
- Once the garlic turns lightly 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, for 10 minutes.
- Add in the cleaned mussels, mix into the sauce, and cover. The mussels will open within a few minutes.
- After 5-7 minutes discard any mussels that have not opened. Turn off heat and taste test the sauce. Adjust salt and pepper levels if required. Add in the chopped basil and stir. 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.
- Make it a full meal. There will be enough sauce for at least a 1/2 pound of pasta.
- 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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This recipe was originally published on January 17, 2020. It was completely updated on March 31, 2025.
Love your recipes. Cooking the mussels for dinner tonight, Palm Sunday🙏
Waiting for your fresh pasta recipes.
OMG!! I have been looking for this recipe for years and years! In the 1960s in/around Union City New Jersy, there use to be an Italian restaurant called “Cristinas” (I think that is how it was spelled but I could be wrong) that served this type of mussels. I was in grade school and loved getting this when we visited “back home”. I was born in St. Louis Missouri but both my parents are from New Jersey. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!!
So happy you enjoyed, Elizabeth!
Still my absolute favorite mussels recipe of all time, hands down. I’m *super* picky about mussels and these taste spectacular! Thanks a million.
We are so happy to hear that, Rosemary!
I love your recipes. Thank you!
We’re happy to hear that, Mary!
Must try , my dad loved them and this is how mom made this dish for him . Similar to “oogootsaloon”, Italian for snails
We hope you enjoy, Rocco!