How to make mussels marinara in only 10 minutes

Fish and shellfish are great protagonists of the Mediterranean diet and are generally recommended within a healthy and balanced nutrition plan. Unfortunately, many people avoid them just because they don’t know how to prepare them. And yet, the recipes are usually very simple, since both generally require a short cooking time and few ingredients, like this recipe of “mussels marinara”.

Put the mussels in a large strainer and rinse, in order to remove any dirt. Normally they are sold already clean, otherwise remove the “beards” by pulling them. Discard those mussels that are broken.

Chop and fry the garlic and onion, scallion or spring onion without letting them burn, add the white wine and let it boil for a few minutes so that the alcohol evaporates. Add the mussels to the pot. It’s not necessary that they are completely covered since they will give off a lot of water during cooking. Cook briefly over high heat until all the mussels have opened; when serving, discard those that have not done so. Finally add some chopped parsley.

Tips and tricks:

1. This recipe is very simple and available to anyone. As with any seafood, we just have to make sure it’s fresh, buying from a place you trust.
2. Precisely to ensure that the mussels are fresh, discard those that are broken or do not open when cooked.
3. As with fish, a short cooking time is preferable to a very long one where the shellfish is excessively cooked.
4. The cooking water is an absolute liquid gold to later prepare a rice.
5. Depending on preference, the onion can be added to the sofrito or simply left out. Parsley and garlic are however essential in the recipe.
6. Normally it is calculated up to half a kilo per person for a starter, or one kilo if it is a main course. In Belgium and France the moules & frites à discrétion is a classic in many restaurants, served with fries on the side.
7. This recipe also works in a similar way with clams or shrimp.
8. On the side of the Adriatic Sea there is an almost identical recipe, called Venetian “busara” mussels, also called “buzara style” on the Dalmatian coast (a region that was precisely part of the Venetian domain, and today belongs to Croatia).