Sweet Italian sausage makes the perfect complement to fresh mussels. Simply cooked with tomatoes, red onions, garlic, and white wine, this recipe is very easy to make and goes together in a snap. You may substitute other fresh sausages for the sweet Italian, but you run the risk of overpowering the flavor of the mussels, so take care with your choice.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients:
- 4 pounds mussels
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound sweet Italian sausage, removed from casing and crumbled
- 1 small red onion, sliced (about 1 cup)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tomatoes, chopped (about 2 to 2-1/2 cups)
- 1-1/2 cups white wine
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- Freshly ground black pepper
Preparation:
Clean the mussels by scrubbing them with a brush under running water. Pull off the beard (the whiskery hairs protruding from the shell). Discard any mussels that are broken or don't close their shells when tapped.
Heat a large 12-inch sauté pan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the olive oil and cook the crumbled sausage and red onion until the sausage is just cooked through – about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for just a minute, until fragrant. Add the tomatoes and white wine and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.
Increase the heat to high, add the mussels and cover with the lid. Shake the pan every once in a while, and steam the mussels for 3 to 5 minutes until they open.
Remove the mussels from the pan with a slotted spoon and place in serving bowls, discarding any mussels whose shells are cracked, broken or did not open during cooking. Stir in the parsley and season with black pepper. Pour the broth over the mussels and serve immediately with crusty bread or French fries to soak up the tasty liquid.
Yield: 4 servings
Recipe Source: Blue Jean Chef : Comfortable in the Kitchen by Meredith Laurence (Walah!, LLC Publishing)
Mussels with Italian Sausage and Tomato Recipe Photo © 2011 Jessica Walker, licensed to About.com, Inc.
Heat a large 12-inch sauté pan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the olive oil and cook the crumbled sausage and red onion until the sausage is just cooked through – about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for just a minute, until fragrant. Add the tomatoes and white wine and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.
Increase the heat to high, add the mussels and cover with the lid. Shake the pan every once in a while, and steam the mussels for 3 to 5 minutes until they open.
Remove the mussels from the pan with a slotted spoon and place in serving bowls, discarding any mussels whose shells are cracked, broken or did not open during cooking. Stir in the parsley and season with black pepper. Pour the broth over the mussels and serve immediately with crusty bread or French fries to soak up the tasty liquid.
Yield: 4 servings
Recipe Source: Blue Jean Chef : Comfortable in the Kitchen by Meredith Laurence (Walah!, LLC Publishing)
Mussels with Italian Sausage and Tomato Recipe Photo © 2011 Jessica Walker, licensed to About.com, Inc.
