Mussels Marinara is a classic Italian seafood dish featuring fresh mussels steamed in a garlicky tomato sauce infused with herbs and olive oil. As the mussels open, they release their briny juices into the sauce, creating a rich, flavorful broth perfect for dipping crusty bread.
Ready in under 30 minutes, this elegant yet simple dish makes an impressive dinner for entertaining or a cozy date night at home. Serve with pasta or alongside toasted bread to soak up every last bit of the savory marinara sauce.
Table of Contents
I’m back with another quick & easy seafood recipe for you! This Mussels Marinara recipe will be on your table in under 30 minutes.
Ingredient notes
- Fresh Mussels
- Olive Oil
- Garlic
- White Wine – Here are 13+ of my favorite white wines for cooking.
- Marinara Sauce – Homemade or store bought.
- Parsley – Or, swap in some fresh basil.
- Red Pepper Flakes – These are optional. Leave out if you don’t like heat.
How to store and clean mussels
- Once purchased, mussels should be used within a couple days. Store them in the refrigerator, in a bowl covered with a damp towel.
- To clean, rinse them in a colander using a scrub brush. If you find mussels with open shells, tap them gently to ensure that it closes up and is alive. If not, discard.
- The “beard” of a mussel is a bundle of hair-like fibers that comes from the shell. Most farm-raised mussels will come debearded. However, if you find mussels that need to be debearded, simply grab the beard from the mussels and give it a tug to remove it.
How to make mussels marinara
- Heat olive oil on MEDIUM so that your garlic wont scorch. Sauté until golden.
- Add wine and reduce by half.
- Add marinara sauce and bring to a simmer.
- Add mussels to the skillet and cook until mussels open, 3-5 minutes.
Tip: To make these mussels fra diavolo style (spicy), add 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes when you are sautéing the garlic.
Variations
- Clams marinara – Swap out the mussels for some clams.
- Herbs – Swap out the parsley for basil or oregano.
- Olives – Chop up some kalamata or green olives and sprinkle them on your finished mussels.
- Breadcrumbs – Toast up some italian breadcrumbs or panko in a bit of olive oil and sprinkle them over your finished dish.
How to eat mussels marinara
- With crusty bread to soak up that delicious sauce.
- Over pasta as a main course.
- This Mussels in Red Sauce recipe will serve 6 as an appetizer or 4 as a main course over pasta.
What to serve with it
- MORE → 45+ Sides for Mussels
Erin’s wine pairings
- White Wine – Pinot Grigio or dry sparkling wine such as Prosecco are awesome with this dish.
- Red Wine – Dolcetto or Barbera. Look for fruity reds that are lower in alcohol.
More Italian seafood recipes
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PS – Be sure to check out these 15+ sensational sauces for mussels too!
Full Recipe
Mussels Marinara
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¼ cup olive oil (extra virgin )
- 4 cloves garlic (thinly sliced)
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (if you’d like spicy Fra Diavolo mussels)
- 1 cup dry white wine (I used Pinot Gris, but Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay would work)
- 1 23.5 ounce jar marinara sauce
- 2 pounds mussels (scrubbed and debearded)
- Salt (to taste)
- Chopped parsley (for serving)
- Crusty bread (for serving)
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium heat, heat ¼ cup olive oil and sauté 4 cloves garlic (and 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes flakes if using) for 1-2 minutes, being careful not to brown the garlic.
- Add 1 cup dry white wine and bring to a boil. Cook until reduced by half, about 3 minutes.
- Stir in 1 23.5 ounce jar marinara sauce and bring to a simmer. Stir in 2 pounds mussels, cover and cook until mussels open, 3 to 5 minutes; discard any mussels that do not open.
- Season with salt, to taste, and sprinkle with parsley. Serve with crusty bread.
Notes
- Once purchased, mussels should be used within a couple days. Store them in the refrigerator, in a bowl covered with a damp towel.
- To clean, rinse them in a colander using a scrub brush. If you find mussels with open shells, tap them gently to ensure that it closes up and is alive. If not, discard.
- The “beard” of a mussel is a bundle of hair-like fibers that comes from the shell. Most farm-raised mussels will come debearded. However, if you find mussels that need to be debearded, simply grab the beard from the mussels and give it a tug to remove it.
- Clams marinara – Swap out the mussels for some clams.
- Herbs – Swap out the parsley for basil or oregano.
- Olives – Chop up some kalamata or green olives and sprinkle them on your finished mussels.
- Breadcrumbs – Toast up some italian breadcrumbs or panko in a bit of olive oil and sprinkle them over your finished dish.
Nutrition
This post was originally published in 2019. It was updated in 2024 to add new photographs and additional information. The mussels marinara with jar sauce recipe remains the same. Enjoy!
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