The classic love story of Zuppa di cozze. A spicy tomato broth, garlic, and just enough white wine to keep things interesting.
To prepare this dish and capture its essence, be sure to select the best mussels (ours!), tomatoes, and bread. It’s so simple, you’ll taste every ingredient. When serving with toasted or crusty bread, it’s very filling. You could share the dish by placing a serving bowl in the center of the table with small plates and big spoons for the mussels and the tomato broth.
Zuppa di cozze - Mussels in Tomato Sauce
- 2 lbs black mussels – check each one to ensure none are cracked or otherwise damaged. Rinse and perform the muscle test (squeeze the mussel together. If it contracts, then it's a healthy, alive mussel.)
- 1 pinch hot pepper flakes
- 1 garlic clove, peeled and cut in half or lightly smashed
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 28 oz can of good-quality imported peeled Italian tomatoes
- Salt & Pepper
- Toasted bread rounds, good crusty bread, or French fries
- A splash of white wine to keep it interesting
- Rinse the mussels. And perform the "mussel test."
- Heat a large saucepan with a lid over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and gently cook until the garlic begins to brown. Remove and discard the garlic.
- Crush the peeled tomatoes and add to the pan along with their juices. Cook over medium heat for 20 minutes or so breaking up the tomatoes, and reduce till you get a somewhat thick sauce. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper. (The broth and the salt from the mussels will bring you that final taste and salt of the sea.) Add a splash of white wine.
- Add the mussels and distribute in the pan. Cover and lower the heat to medium-low. Cook the mussels until they all open. About 7-10 mins. Discard any muscles that don’t open.
- Serve the mussels along with the tomato sauce in bowls or serve family-style right out of the cooking dish. Serve with bread.
