Mussels Marinara

The mussels marinara are a simple and quick appetizer to prepare, low in calories, in which the flavor of the mussels is preserved by the delicacy of cooking and highlighted by a few drops of lemon juice. The mussels  marinara prepared in this way can be stored for a couple of days in the refrigerator well covered. Leave them at least half an hour at room temperature before enjoying them. The Mussels alla Marinara are a tasty and simple dish to prepare, to which the chili gives that extra something that stimulates the taste buds. The preparation is simple and the result guaranteed.

The only advice I can give you is to choose the mussels very fresh and of great quality, maybe get advice from your trusted fish supplier, in this way your dish will be perfect rich in taste, scent and aroma! The acid touch of the tomato goes very well with the flavor of the mussel and together they give life to a truly excellent mix of flavors. Try this recipe and let me know how it went and if you liked it! 

An alternative, you can serve it as a condiment for a plate of pasta with sauce.

INGREDIENTS

3 kg of mussels

2-3 cloves of garlic

3-4 ripe red tomatoes

30 g of chopped parsley

1 glass of white wine

1 teaspoon of oregano 

60 ml of extra virgin olive oil

salt (if necessary) 

1 hot pepper and black pepper.

PREPARATION

Leave the mussels to soak in cold salted water for a couple of hours, in order to soften the encrustations. Next, discard those that have a broken shell. Scrape the shell with a knife, to remove encrustations.

Then rub the shells with an abrasive sponge to remove any residue.

Then set them aside. Meanwhile, wash the tomatoes, peel them, divide them in half and remove the seeds and the vegetation liquid.

Chop them, then, coarsely with a knife. In a very large pan let heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic cloves and let them soak for a couple of minutes without taking color. Add the chopped tomatoes and chopped hot pepper. Cook well and add the mussels and white wine. Cover the pan with a lid and cook the mussels over high heat, shaking the pan several times. As soon as the mussels have opened, remove the lid and sprinkle the mussels marinara with plenty of chopped parsley and a little' oregano. Let it flavor and reduce the cooking liquid for 2 minutes, without further prolonging the cooking of the mussels, otherwise they will be hard. When cooked, remove the mussels from the heat and transfer them to a large salad bowl. Serve the mussels marinara with croutons or bruschetta, useful to better enjoy the sauce.

NOTES AND TIPS

It should not be necessary to add salt to mussels marinara. If necessary, salt sparingly. To make the dish spicy, add plenty of chilli. At the end of cooking, the mussels left closed should be discarded.