Addictive and Delicious
I’ve always been a fan of mussels, but I have to admit, there’s a lot of other seafood that I favor over mussels. It wasn’t until I made these Spicy Vodka Mussels that I fell in love with them. When it comes to mussels, a big part of how they taste is in the sauce they’re cooked with. When you think about it, there’s only so many ways to cook mussels. Most commonly, they’re steamed in some type of broth or sauce, so they really absorb all of that flavor. There’s so many different flavor profiles you can choose from, but I decided to go with a classic — spicy vodka sauce. It’s very common to steam mussels in a tomato based sauce, but I thought: “how can we make this even better?” Personally, I’d always choose a creamy vodka sauce over a red sauce any day. So I took that idea and ran with it. These Spicy Vodka Mussels have that same delicious sauce and flavor that you love in a spicy vodka pasta but with mussels! It’s savory, tangy, and little spicy — but most of all, addicting!
Scrubbed Clean
To get started, we have to clean the mussels. There’s nothing worse than getting a pot of mussels and all you can taste are the grainy pieces of sand. So we want to make sure to thoroughly clean out mussels. Add the mussels to a colander rinse them under cold water. Gently scrub off any debris and remove the beard. Discard any open dead mussels.
Spicy and Saucy
Moving onto the sauce, heat a pan over medium heat. Pour in the olive oil then add in the garlic and shallot. Sauté for 2 minutes until the shallot turns translucent. Mix in the red pepper flakes, dried basil, and tomato paste. Cook for 4-5 minutes until the tomato paste darkens to a reddish brown color.
Pour in the chicken broth and mix until the sauce is combined. Add in the mussels. Increase the heat to medium high and heat until the sauce starts bubbling. Reduce the heat to medium low. Cover the pot with a lid and steam for 8-10 minutes, mixing halfway through, until all of the mussels have opened. Mix in the heavy cream, parmesan, butter, salt pepper, and basil. Remove the pot from heat and serve with toasted bread on the side. Enjoy!
All That Sauce
These Spicy Vodka Mussels have honestly become one of my favorite recipes because of how delicious yet easy it is to make. This is also a great recipe to make for a dinner party or an upcoming holiday potluck. You can easily serve it as a starter dish to get everyone’s appetite moving. The spicy vodka sauce coats the mussels perfectly, and the acidity of the tomato paste balances the seafood flavor of the mussels. It has the perfect amount of creaminess without being too heavy, and the fresh basil adds so much aroma and freshness. The sauce is tangy and savory with just a hint of spice. If you’re a spice lover, you can add more red pepper flakes to take it up a notch. I swear, even after all the mussels are finished, I would happily drink up all the leftover sauce it’s that good. So you definitely want to serve this with some toasted bread on the side, and you’re on track to have the most delectable meal!
Spicy Vodka Mussels
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs Mussels
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 tbsp Minced Garlic
- 1 Shallot (finely chopped)
- 6 oz Tomato Paste
- 1 ½ tsp Red Pepper Flakes (used 2 tsp if you like it spicier)
- 2 tsp Dried Basil
- 2 cups Chicken Broth
- ½ cup Heavy Cream
- ½ cup Grated Parmesan
- 2 tbsp Unsalted Butter
- ½ tsp Kosher salt
- ½ tsp Black Pepper
- ⅔ cup Fresh Basil Leaves
- Optional: Toasted Bread (to serve on the side)
Instructions
- Add the mussels to a colander rinse the mussels under cold water. Gently scrub off any debris and remove the beard. Discard any open, dead mussels.
- Heat a pan over medium heat. Pour in the olive oil then add in the garlic and shallot. Sauté for 2 minutes until the shallot turns translucent. Mix in the red pepper flakes, dried basil, and tomato paste. Cook for 4-5 minutes until the tomato paste darkens to a reddish brown color.
- Pour in the chicken broth and mix until the sauce is combined. Add in the mussels. Increase the heat to medium high and heat until the sauce starts bubbling. Reduce the heat to medium low. Cover the pot with a lid and steam for 8-10 minutes, mixing halfway through, until all of the mussels have opened.
- Mix in the heavy cream, parmesan, butter, salt pepper, and basil. Remove the pot from heat and serve with toasted bread on the side. Enjoy!
