I love seafood – there’s something to be said about how nutritious, meaty, and flavourful it is while being one of the easiest and quickest foods to prepare. I love a good garlic and butter shrimp, mussels in white wine sauce, and crab pasta with a creamy flavourbomb sauce. Just thinking about it makes me drool! If you’re lucky enough to be able to eat (as many are allergic or intolerant) seafood, dont’ forget to put this versatile meat into your weekly rotation!
Personally, I’m a shrimp and mussels fan (if it wasn’t obvious yet). This Mussels Marinara Pasta recipe is such a staple in our home because it’s so versatile and easy to make. This recipe is almost fool-proof – what’s important here is the use of high-quality ingredients and its flavour base: a sofrito – mix of garlic, onions, and parsely stems – that will elevate this simple dish to heaven and beyond.
Ingredients:
- Passata sauce or Tomato Puree: I prefer to use passata sauce because it has the smooth and creamy texture I love, bu
- Fresh Mussels: I use Jervis Bay Mussels. Whatever you use, just make sure they’re fresh!
- Spaghetti or linguine: Any will work.
- Garlic: Finely chopped, to make our sofrito.
- Shallots or white onions: Any will work – make sure it’s diced!
- Parsely: I prefer the curly leaf parsely but you can also sub for flat leaf.
- Sundried tomatoes: This one’s optional, but adds an even more tangier flavour and great texture!
- Water from mussels: Totally optional, but can do wonders in making the sauce creamier and flavourful.
How to make quick and delicious Mussels Marinara Pasta
Cheap and fresh Jervis Bay Mussels
Making the mussel broth
Aromatics and herbs
- 2 pounds Fresh Mussels
- 1 jar of 700g Passata Sauce (I buy mine from Coles!)
- 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 whole brown onion, diced
- 10 strips of sundried tomato, sliced
- half a bunch of curly leaf parsely
- 1/4 cup water from mussels
- 500 g spaghetti or linguine of choice
- 1 cup water
- 5 tbsp olive oil
- Lemon
2. Prepare your aromatics. Finely chop garlic, dice your onion, and break off the stems of the parsely, leaving the leaves. Set aside the stem and finely chop the leaves. Slice your sundried tomatoes and set aside.
3. In a non-stick skillet, turn on heat to medium high and heat 1 tbsp olive oil. Once the skillet is hot, throw in 1/4 of your sliced garlic and parsley stems. Let it cook for a bit to extract flavour – about 2 mins. Once done, put your mussels in and mix that all together. Put in your water, cover with a lid and let that steam for about 5 minutes or until mussels are open.
4. Once mussels are open, turn off your stove and transfer mussel to a bowl. Make sure to discard any mussel that didn’t open and preserve the water – now broth – it was cooked in. Make sure parsley stems are discarded. Set aside.
5. Crack open most of the mussels and get the meat, discarding the shell. Set aside a few pieces of the whole mussel for plating.
5. In the same skillet, turn on heat to low. Add the remaining olive oil and while cool, add your aromatics and herbs: garlic, onions, sundried tomatoes, and half of the parsely leaves. While this is cooking, boil your water for the pasta. Continue to cook the sofrito on low and turn up the heat to medium once onions are slightly transparent.
7. Cook your pasta according to instructions. I prefer to get mine a minute before the set time, because it will still cook in the sauce and I prefer an al-dente pasta.
8. In the skillet, add in your passata sauce and mussel broth. Wait until it bubbles, and then turn the heat to low. Cover with lid, simmer for 5 minutes.
9. Add in the mussel meat and cover again for 1 minute and take the lid off.
10. Once your pasta is done, directly transfer it to your skillet. Mix mix mix!
11. Add more of the choppped parsely leaves. Add a squeeze of lemon for even more brightness!
12. Plate with whole mussels – serve and enjoy!!
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PS: check out my best iced chocolate recipe, if you’d like!
[…] PS: if you want a quick and easy dinner option, check out my mussels marinara pasta recipe! […]