Fresh mussels with pasta in a spicy tomato sauce make the perfect meal for a special occasion or as a treat for the family. Plump, juicy mussels are cooked in their shells in my special chilli tomato and onion sauce and then mixed with cream before being served on a bed of pasta. This spicy, garlicky dish is perfect for when you want something different but don't want to spend hours in the kitchen.
This easy fresh mussel pasta with a spicy homemade tomato sauce is a real treat for seafood lovers and makes a delicious midweek dinner or an impressive weekend meal. Plump, juicy mussels are simmered in a rich tomato and onion sauce, flavoured with garlic, a touch of chilli, and a splash of vinegar for depth. A swirl of cream stirred in at the end adds a lovely silkiness that brings the whole dish together.
The beauty of this recipe is how everything cooks in one pan – even the mussels are steamed right in the sauce, so they soak up all that wonderful flavour. Some are removed from their shells to make eating easier, while a few are left in for presentation, giving the dish a rustic, bistro-style look. Toss the cooked linguini through the sauce so it’s well coated, and serve it with a sprinkling of fresh parsley and a wedge of lemon if you like.
What makes this dish extra convenient is that you can make the tomato sauce ahead of time, which means getting dinner on the table in under 30 minutes. Whenever I make my tomato sauce, I always make a big batch and store meal-sized packs of the sauce in the freezer so that I have some to hand whenever I need it.
This mussel pasta dish is quick, full of flavour, and feels like a little taste of the coast – perfect for when you want something special without too much effort.
If you enjoy mussels, you might like to try these other mussel recipes:
- stuffed mussels with rice and tomato make a tasty and impressive starter
- fresh mussels in a creamy garlic sauce is my take on moules frites
- creamy mussels pasta is a super quick and easy pasta dish and makes an easy midweek meal.
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Recipe information
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes - plus about an hour extra if you are making the tomato sauce from scratch.
Yield: The recipe as written will serve 2 people; to make a large batch, add more mussels and increase the amount of tomato sauce and pasta.
Ingredients
The tomato sauce is based on my recipe for chilli tomato and onion sauce, which makes far too much sauce for this recipe. To make it easy for you, I've included a scaled-down version of the original recipe in the recipe card at the end of the post.
- Pasta - I think this dish is best served with either spaghetti or linguine, but tagliatelle would also work. You should allow 75 to 90 grams of pasta per person.
- Fresh mussels in their shells - you can normally buy these from the fish counter in your local supermarket, or otherwise from a fishmonger. Allow at least 1 pound (450 grams) of mussels per person. The edible portion of mussels is only about 30%, so once the shells have been discarded, you should have about 4 to 5 ounces (or 140 grams) of mussel meat per person.
- Single cream - this adds creaminess to the sauce and also helps with thickening.
- Tomato and onion sauce - you can make your own sauce using your favourite recipe, but I would really recommend my chilli tomato and onion sauce recipe. The garlic and chilli in the sauce go so well with the mussels. If you do make the sauce, it takes around an hour to make, but most of the time is hands-off while it simmers away. So really, all it takes is an extra 10 minutes of prep time.
- Freshly chopped parsley for garnish.
For the tomato sauce
- Tomatoes and onions - coarsely diced. Aim to get the to at least half-inch pieces, or just over a centimetre.
- Olive oil - for softening the onions.
- Red wine vinegar - for a hint of sharpness.
- Brown sugar - to counteract the sharpness of the vinegar.
- Dried chilli flakes - for a touch of heat.
- Garlic - finely minced.
- Salt and black pepper - for seasoning.
**You can find the exact ingredient quantities for making these fresh mussels in homemade tomato sauce on the printable recipe card at the end of this post.**
Instructions
Tomato and onion chilli sauce
Start by making the tomato sauce. If you don't have a batch in the freezer, you will need at least an hour to make this, so get it on early! You could also make this 2 or 3 days in advance and store it in the refrigerator.
Step 1: Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan or frying pan and saute the chopped onions with the minced garlic gently until the onions turn translucent. Add the chopped tomatoes and bring to a boil.
Step 2: Add the rest of the ingredients, turn the heat down to a simmer and cover the pan with a lid. Simmer for about an hour until the tomatoes have disintegrated and the onion is completely softened.
Step 3: Remove the lid and stir well. If there is still a lot of liquid left (this will depend on how juicy the tomatoes were), simmer with the lid off until thick and glossy. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if necessary.
Mussels and pasta
Cook the pasta in lightly salted water according to the instructions on the packet, then drain and set aside.
Rinse the mussels in cold water and discard any that are cracked or do not close when you tap them gently. If any of the mussels have a 'beard', pull this away and discard.
Step 1: Place the tomato sauce in a large sauté pan or saucepan, heat until boiling then mix in the cleaned mussels.
Step 2: Cover the pan with a lid, turn the heat to simmer and let the mussels steam in the sauce for about 5 minutes until they have opened. Discard any mussels that are still closed.
Step 3: Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked mussels to a bowl. Leave as much of the tomato and onion as possible in the pan.
Step 4: Reserve 12 mussels in their shells (or 6 per person) and remove the mussel meat from the remaining shells.
Step 5: Place the mussel meat into the sauce that was left in the pan and tip in any remaining juice from the bowl. Mix the cream into the sauce and allow to heat through.
Step 6: Stir in the drained pasta and garnish with chopped parsley and the reserved mussels in their shells. Serve hot.
Equipment
To make these fresh mussels in tomato sauce you will need the following main pieces of equipment:
- Saucepan with a lid - this is used for making the tomato sauce.
- Saucepan for cooking the pasta and a colander to drain it in. The colander will also be handy for rinsing the mussels.
- Large saute pan with a lid - this is for steaming the mussels and combining them in the tomato sauce with the pasta. The pan should be large enough to hold everything.
- Large bowl - to transfer the cooked mussels into.
- Sharp knife and chopping board for cutting up the tomatoes and onions.
Storage
Store leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for a day. I wouldn't advise keeping them longer.
You can reheat them in a saucepan on the stove or in the microwave.
Discard any uneaten mussels in pasta and do not reheat them a second time!
Tips and FAQ
~ When you buy fresh mussels, check the smell. They should smell of the sea, and not smell 'fishy' at all.
~ Fresh live mussels should be tightly closed. If any of the mussels are open, just squeeze them gently, or tap them on the counter and they should close up. Discard any mussels that do not close as these will be dead.
~ Likewise, if any of the shells are cracked or broken, you should discard those too.
~ To clean the mussels put them in a colander and rinse them under cold running water. This will remove any sand or seaweed debris that may be clinging to them.
~ If any of the mussels have a beard you should pull it away from the shell and discard it.
~The mussels will open as they cook. Discard any mussels that do not open during cooking as they will be dead.
Don't freeze fresh mussels! I've tried it. The mussels close up tightly and die, so when you try to cook them they do not open.
However, you can freeze the mussels in the sauce (I would do it before adding the pasta). You can keep them in the freezer for up to three months. After that, the texture will start to deteriorate.
Defrost the sauce in the refrigerator (or microwave) while you make the pasta, then add the cold mussels to the cooked pasta, and allow to heat gently until piping hot.
You can freeze the tomato sauce separately in meal-sized portions in plastic bags for up to six months. Defrost it in the refrigerator or if you are in a hurry, in the microwave.
Yes, you can make this dish of mussels with pasta the day before and store covered in the refrigerator. I wouldn't store it for longer than that.
Reheat in a pan on the stove (or in the microwave) until piping hot.
You can make the tomato sauce up to three days beforehand and store it in the refrigerator until you are ready to make this dish.
You can easily scale this dish to feed any number of people:
~ Pasta - 3 ounces (75 grams) of dried pasta per person
~ Fresh mussels in their shells - one pound (450 grams) per person.
~ Tomato and onion sauce - one cup per person. If you are making for more than 4 people, reduce this to three-quarters of a cup.
~ Cream - 2 tablespoons per person.
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You can find similar recipes on my fish and seafood recipes page. Here are a few you might enjoy:
📋The recipe
Fresh mussels with pasta in a spicy tomato sauce
(Click the stars to rate this recipe)
Equipment
- Large frying pan with lid
- Saucepan (for the sauce)
- Sharp Knife
- Chopping Board
- Colander
Ingredients
Tomato and onion sauce
- 3 large tomatoes roughly chopped
- 2 medium onions cut into 1cm/½" dice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil for frying
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1½ tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes or to taste
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- salt and pepper to taste
Mussels and pasta
- 5 ounces / 150 grams spaghetti or linguine
- 2 pounds / 900 grams fresh mussels in the shell
- 4 tablespoons single cream
- 2 cups homemade tomato sauce use my recipe or use your own favourite recipe
- Freshly chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
Tomato and onion sauce
- Chop the tomatoes and onions. Crush the garlic3 large tomatoes, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 cloves garlic, 2 medium onions
- Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan or frying pan and saute the chopped onions with the minced garlic gently until the onions turn translucent. Add the chopped tomatoes and bring to a boil.1 tablespoon olive oil
- Add the rest of the ingredients, turn the heat down to a simmer and cover the pan with a lid. Simmer for about an hour until the tomatoes have disintegrated and the onion is completely softened.2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 1½ tablespoons brown sugar, 1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
- Remove the lid and stir well. If there is still a lot of liquid left (this will depend on how juicy the tomatoes were), simmer with the lid off until thick and glossy. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if necessary.salt and pepper
Mussels and pasta
- Cook the pasta in boiling salted water according to the instructions on the packet. Drain and set aside.5 ounces / 150 grams spaghetti or linguine
- Rinse the mussels in cold water and discard any that are cracked or do not close when you tap them gently. If any of the mussels have a 'beard', pull this away and discard.2 pounds / 900 grams fresh mussels
- Place the tomato sauce in a large sauté pan or saucepan, heat until boiling then mix in the cleaned mussels.2 cups homemade tomato sauce
- Cover the pan with a lid, turn the heat to simmer and let the mussels steam in the sauce for about 5 minutes until they have opened. Discard any mussels that are still closed.
- Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked mussels to a bowl. Leave as much of the tomato and onion as possible in the pan.
- Reserve 12 mussels in their shells (or 6 per person) and remove the mussel meat from the remaining shells.
- Place the mussel meat into the sauce that was left in the pan and tip in any remaining juice from the bowl. Mix the cream into the sauce and allow to heat through.4 tablespoons single cream
- Stir in the drained pasta, then garnish with chopped parsley and the reserved mussels in their shells. Serve hot.Freshly chopped parsley
Notes
- Pasta - 2 ounces (60 grams) per person - that's about one cup of cooked pasta.
- Fresh mussels in their shells - one pound (450 grams) per person.
- Tomato and onion sauce - one cup per person.
- Cream - 2 tablespoons per person.
- When you buy fresh mussels, check the smell. They should smell of the sea, and not smell 'fishy' at all.
- Fresh live mussels should be tightly closed. If any of the mussels are open, just squeeze them gently, or tap them on the counter and they should close up. Discard any mussels that do not close as these will be dead.
- Likewise, if any of the shells are cracked or broken, you should discard those too.
- To clean the mussels put them in a colander and rinse them under cold running water. This will remove any sand or seaweed debris that may be clinging to them.
- If any of the mussels have a beard you should pull it away from the shell and discard it.
- The mussels will open as they cook. Discard any mussels that do not open during cooking as they will be dead.
Nutrition
I am not a nutritionist. The nutrition information has been calculated using an on-line calculator, and is intended for information and guidance purposes only. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should consider calculating it yourself, using your preferred tool.
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