Mussels Marinara is a quick & easy recipe to make at home. Serve them with crostini as an appetizer, or over pasta as an entree. Spice them up with red pepper flakes to make Mussels Fra Diavolo.

I’m back with another quick & easy seafood recipe for you! This Mussels Marinara recipe will be on your table in under 30 minutes. It’s light, delicious and oh so flavorful – with white wine, plenty of garlic and fresh parsley. And if you like heat, just add some red pepper flakes to make Mussels Fra Diavolo, similar to this Shrimp Fra Diavolo.

Mussels marinara ingredients:

Mussels
Olive Oil
Garlic
White Wine
Marinara Sauce
Parsley
Red Pepper Flakes (optional)

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.

How to make Mussels Fra Diavolo:

Add 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes when you are sautéing the garlic.

What does fra diavolo mean?

“Fra Diavolo” means “Brother Devil” in Italian. Mussels Fra Diavolo is given the name for its spicy flavors.

Two hands holding bowl of cooked mussels next to loaf of crusty bread and bowl of red pepper flakes.

How to store & 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.

Side view of bowl of cooked mussels in marinara served with piece of baguette.

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 seafood recipes:

What wine to drink with mussels marinara?

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.

If you loved this homemade Mussels Marinara recipe, I would appreciate it so much if you would give it a review! Also, be sure to snap a picture of your finished dish and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #platingsandpairings and tagging me @platingsandpairings.

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PS – Be sure to check out these 15+ sensational sauces for mussels too!