Spaghetti with mussels aka Spaghetti con le Cozze is a classic Italian dish that is both delicious and easy to prepare. The tender, slightly sweet flavor of the mussels pairs perfectly with the savory tomato sauce and al dente pasta.
Mussels are a nutritious and sustainable source of protein, making spaghetti with mussels a healthy and environmentally-friendly meal option. Plus, the briny flavor of the mussels adds a unique twist to the traditional pasta dish.
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- Here's Why You'll Love this Dish
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- How to Clean Mussels
- Ingredients You'll Need to Make Spaghetti with Mussels
- How to Make Spaghetti Con le Cozze
- Meal Prep Tips
- Substitutions
- Variations
- Equipment
- Storage
- Answers to Commonly Asked Questions
- Related
- Recipe Details
- PIN it for later here
- Food Safety
- Comments
Here's Why You'll Love this Dish
- Spaghetti con le cozze is a great dish to make for a a special meal. Make them for a special dinner or on a holiday. But, that doesn't need to stop you from making them any time of the year.
- Mussels are a sustainable sourced food item, they are typically inexpensive to purchase making them the perfect seafood option to have as an appetizer or main course.
This spaghetti and mussel dish (aka spaghetti con le cozze) goes perfectly with the best fudgy brownies or a no churn torrone ice cream.
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How to Clean Mussels
Mussels aren't hard to clean at all. Follow these steps to get your mussels ready for cooking:
- Rinse the mussels under cold running water to remove any dirt or debris.
- Use a stiff brush to scrub the mussels, especially around the edges where the shells meet, to remove any stubborn particles.
- Check each mussel to make sure the shells are tightly closed. If any are open, tap them lightly against a hard surface. If they don't close, discard them as they may be dead and unsafe to eat.
- Remove any "beard" or fibrous threads sticking out of the mussels by gently tugging them with your fingers.
- Rinse the mussels one more time under cold water before cooking them.
Note that mussels should be cooked alive and that any mussels that don't open during cooking should be discarded.
Ingredients You'll Need to Make Spaghetti with Mussels
Spaghetti con le cozze is a simple meal to make and requires the following ingredients: mussels, olive oil, garlic, tomato puree, tomato paste, salt, pepper, dried oregano, spaghetti, red wine, and parsley.
- Mussels - you can use either fresh farm raised or wild mussels
- Olive oil - I prefer olive oil as it is a healthier option
- Garlic - used as a flavor booster
- Tomato puree, tomato paste, oregano - used to make the tomato sauce. I prefer tomato puree in a glass jar because it's free from epoxy resins
- Red Wine - used as a flavor booster
- Parsley - I use fresh parsley when it's readily on hand, frozen is also acceptable.
See recipe card for full ingredient list and quantities.
Make a Cozze alla Tarantina aka spicy spaghetti and mussels by adding hot pepper flakes or hot chili oil.
How to Make Spaghetti Con le Cozze
Soak and clean mussels (see notes). Drain excess water using a colander.
Add tomato puree, tomato paste, salt, pepper, and herbs. Bring to boil then simmer on low heat for 20 minutes.
While the sauce is cooking make your spaghetti. Cook until al dente. (reserve 1 cup of pasta water in case it's needed when combining sauce and spaghetti)
After 20 minutes add mussels to tomato sauce and add wine.
Bring to boil then turn down to a simmer and continue to cook covered for about 20 minutes.
Add your cooked al dente spaghetti to the sauce with the mussels, bring to a gentle boil and stir until the sauce and spaghetti are well combined and the spaghetti is coated with the sauce.If the spaghetti mixture looks to dry add some of the leftover pasta water.
Add chopped parsley and serve in bowls. Remember to bring an empty bowl to the table to discard empty mussel shells.
Meal Prep Tips
- Don't skip cleaning the mussels. Mussels can be extremely dirty and full of sand. No one wants to eat a gritty plate of spaghetti with mussels.
- When the mussels open up during cooking that means that they are cooked.
Substitutions
Substitutions are a very important part of any recipe. For this recipe, if you do not drink alcohol, you can replace the wine with:
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Apple Juice
- Lemon Juice
- Balsamic Vinegar
The perfect recipe isn't that far away. I'd love to know how you substituted ingredients to fit your dietary needs. Drop a comment below and let me know!
Variations
Here are some great variations to Spaghetti with Mussels that you might want to try out:
- Seafood - add other types of seafood like squid rings, shrimp and scallops
- White Wine Sauce - skip the tomato sauce and make a white wine reduction with olive oil and garlic keeping it very simple but still tangy and delicious
- Chilli - make a Cozze alla Tarantina (aka spicy spaghetti and mussels) by adding hot pepper flakes or hot chili oil
If you can think of any other way to make this seafood risotto dish unique, go for it!
Equipment
Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. Use a large sauté pan that's big enough to hold the sauce, mussels and spaghetti. Wooden spoons, measuring cups and spoons will come in handy as well.
Use a large bowl and colander to drain your mussels before cooking.
Storage
Any leftovers should be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for not more than 3 days.
Warm up in a fry pan for best results.
Freezing is not recommended with this dish.
Answers to Commonly Asked Questions
The short answer is yes. Washing mussels is a must as they are dirty and full of sand. So if you don't want a gritty texture it's best to wash, brush and remove any barnacles still attached to the shell.
Not only does a nice glass of white wine go well with cooked mussels, but cooking with wine accentuates the taste. Cook mussels in olive oil, garlic and your favorite white wine for a quick meal. Add spaghetti for a full meal.
If you are cooking mussels as a main dish, count on having at least 1 to 1 ½ pounds of mussels per person. If you are adding mussels to a pasta dish, you could probably get away with half of that amount.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Recipe Details
Spaghetti with Mussels (Spaghetti con le Cozze)
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Mussels
- 4 tbsp Olive oil
- 1 clove Garlic
- 400 ml Tomato puree
- 1 tbsp Tomato Paste
- 2 tsp Salt divided, tsp each
- ground pepper to taste
- 1 tsp Dried Oregano
- 434 grams Spaghetti
- 1 cup Red Wine
- 4 stalks Parsley
Instructions
- Soak and clean mussels (see notes). Drain excess water using a colander.
- Sauté garlic in olive oil in large saute pan until fragrant.
- Add tomato puree, tomato paste, salt, pepper, and herbs. Bring to boil then simmer on low heat for 20 minutes.
- While the sauce is cooking make your spaghetti. Cook until al dente. (reserve 1 cup of pasta water in case it's needed when combining sauce and spaghetti)
- After 20 minutes add mussels to tomato sauce and add wine. Bring to boil then turn down to a simmer and continue to cook covered for about 20 minutes.
- Add your cooked al dente spaghetti to the sauce with the mussels, bring to a gentle boil and stir until the sauce and spaghetti are well combined and the spaghetti is coated with the sauce.If the spaghetti mixture looks to dry add some of the leftover pasta water.
- Add chopped parsley and serve in bowls. Remember to bring an empty bowl to the table to discard empty mussel shells.
Notes
- Rinse the mussels under cold running water to remove any dirt or debris.
- Use a stiff brush to scrub the mussels, especially around the edges where the shells meet, to remove any stubborn particles.
- Check each mussel to make sure the shells are tightly closed. If any are open, tap them lightly against a hard surface. If they don't close, discard them as they may be dead and unsafe to eat.
- Remove any "beard" or fibrous threads sticking out of the mussels by gently tugging them with your fingers.
- Rinse the mussels one more time under cold water before cooking them.
Nutrition
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Food Safety
Note that the storage guidelines provided on this page and site are estimates from personal experiences. We are all adults and as an adult you are responsible to ensure that the food you eat is safe to eat. Since, I'm not a food safety expert, you are responsible to review your local guidelines on food storage prior to storing any food left-overs.
Remember to:
- Not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
For Canadian Guidelines check the Government of Canada Food Safety Guidelines or see more guidelines at USDA.gov.
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