If you love seafood and a little spice, this easy mussels and pasta dish is for you!
There’s nothing like a big bowl of pasta with fresh mussels cooked in a spicy red sauce.
This Spaghetti with Mussels Fra Diavolo brings bold flavors and simple ingredients together in one dish.
You simmer mussels in a tomato and white wine sauce.
You spice the sauce with crushed red pepper for a little heat.
Then, you toss the mussels with spaghetti for a hearty, satisfying meal.
🧼 How to Clean Mussels
You need to clean mussels carefully before cooking.
First, rinse the mussels under cold water.
Pull off any beards attached to the shells.
Tap any open mussels lightly.
If a mussel doesn’t close, throw it away.
You should also discard any cracked or broken mussels.
Cleaning the mussels well keeps your sauce fresh and clean.
🍅 Making the Sauce
Start the sauce by heating olive oil with garlic and shallots.
Add plum tomatoes and passata to build a rich base.
Stir in a touch of crushed red pepper for spice.
Pour white wine into the sauce to deepen the flavor.
When the sauce simmers, add the mussels and steam them until they open.
The mussels will add a fresh, briny flavor to the sauce.
🍝 Cooking and Finishing the Dish
Cook spaghetti until al dente.
Save a little pasta water to loosen the sauce if needed.
Toss the cooked pasta with the mussels and sauce until everything is coated nicely.
Sprinkle fresh parsley over the top before serving.
Serve this meal hot with warm, crusty bread.
🥖 Tips for the Best Mussels Fra Diavolo
- Always check and clean the mussels well.
- Cook mussels just until they open — a few minutes is enough.
- Add fresh parsley at the end for a clean, bright flavor.
- Adjust the spice by adding more or less crushed red pepper.
Spaghetti with Mussels Fra Diavolo brings the fresh taste of the sea and a little spice to your table.
With simple ingredients and a bold flavor, this dish makes every meal feel special.
Enjoy!
Spaghetti with Mussels Fra Diavolo
Ingredients
- 1 lb Spaghetti
- 2 bags of mussels cleaned and debearded
- 4 Plum tomatoes peeled, seeded, and chopped
- 1 Cup Tomato Passata
- 1 Shallot chopped
- 4 Cloves garlic thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup Dry white wine
- 1 tsp Red pepper flakes
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Fresh parsley chopped
- Olive oil
Instructions
- Rinse and scrub the mussels under cold water. Remove any beards and discard any mussels that are open and do not close when tapped.
- In a large pan or pot, heat a generous drizzle of olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced shallot and sliced garlic, cooking until fragrant and slightly golden, about 2 minutes. Stir in the crushed red pepper flakes.
- Add the chopped plum tomatoes and the passata to the pan. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Simmer for about 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Increase the heat to medium-high. Add the white wine to the sauce and bring it to a gentle boil. Add the cleaned mussels to the pan. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes, or until all mussels have opened. (Discard any that do not open.)
- While the mussels are cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve about ½ cup of pasta water, then drain the pasta.
- Add the drained spaghetti to the pan with the mussels and sauce. Toss everything gently to coat, adding a splash of reserved pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce.
- Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and drizzle a little more olive oil over the top. Serve immediately with crusty bread if desired.