Serve an affordable, hearty, home cooked seafood dinner in a flash with this tasty, 3 ingredient Mussels Fra Diavolo recipe.
Mussels Fra Diavolo
As a former seafood hater turned total seafood lover, this Mussels Fra Diavolo is one of my favorite recipes. As a kid, I DETESTED seafood. To the point that my parents would take us to a lobster restaurant and I would order chicken. Imagine having someone willing to pay for a lobster and declining. I do not know what I was thinking because I thoroughly enjoy it as an adult. There’s hope for all your picky eaters out there, I order fish or shellfish as my preferred choice in restaurants wherever I go.
This recipe is so easy and really quick to make. Mussels are inexpensive compared to other seafood and shellfish and cook in only a few minutes!
A few cooking tips:
-Make sure to discard any mussels that are open or have cracked or broken shells.
-If any don’t open easily after cooking for a few minutes, toss those too.
-Rinse the shells really well before cooking and make sure to “debeard” them. If you’ve never done it before, it takes a bit of strength to pull the beard off of the mussel. Most should not have it, but you need to check each one after rinsing them.
How to pick a sauce:
When choosing a jar of sauce, make sure to check the sugar content. The “good” ones should not have more than 3-5 grams and 50-70 calories per 1/2 cup serving. Also, make sure to choose a variety with extra virgin olive oil in the ingredient list. Soybean oil does not belong in your authentic marinara or Fra Diavolo sauce. My personal favorite is made by Victoria and they also make a low sodium Fra Diavolo!
If you have IBS or have been following a low FODMAP diet, a few brands such as FODY foods and Rao’s offer a marinara sauce made without onions and garlic which may be better tolerated. FODY also has a low FODMAP Arrabbiata which subs perfectly in this recipe.
I recommend serving this dish with a salad or side of veggies (or both)! Enjoy!
Mussels Fra Diavolo
Enjoy an affordable seafood dinner in a flash with this 3 ingredient Mussels Fra Diavolo recipe http://wp.me/p4LsrV-v9 Share on X
Mussels Fra Diavolo
Ingredients
- 2 pounds fresh mussels I love Prince Edward Island
- 25 ounce jar of good quality Fra Diavolo pasta sauce if you can’t find this, use marinara and add red pepper flakes to your heat preference
- 6 ounces uncooked whole wheat angel hair pasta or fiber enriched if your prefer
- fresh basil or parsley for garnish
Instructions
- In a large colander, thoroughly rinse and inspect mussels, discarding any cracked or open shells and making sure to debeard any mussels still holding on to one.
- Cook pasta according to instructions on the box.
- While pasta is cooking, place mussels in a large pot with a lid. Cover and turn on heat to high, watching until mussels have opened- approximately 3-5 minutes.
- Remove from heat, drain any extra liquid out of the pot and discard any unopened shells.
- Return pot to the stove on low to medium heat, add fra diavolo sauce and heat through.
- To serve: add approximately 1 cup of cooked pasta to 3 bowls and distribute mussels and sauce.
- Garnish with fresh basil or parsley.
Notes
There are several brands of low sodium fra diavolo or arrabiatta sauce on the market which will significantly lower the sodium per serving.
Nutrition
Need a gluten free version of this recipe? No problem. Simply prepare a brand of gluten free pasta or pasta alternative such as chickpea pasta, black bean or edamame linguine, or quinoa pasta.
If mussels are not your thing, clams are equally delicious in this recipe. If you are adventurous, add calamari rings, scallops, shrimp or any other favorite seafood variety.
Mussels Fra Diavolo
You know I need to amp my intakes of seafood- so thanks for the inspiring photos to do so 🙂
Thanks, Liz!
This looks so good! I’m already hungry for dinner and it’s only breakfast time. Pinned!
Thanks, Anne!
Beautiful recipe! Love the spicy sauce!
Thanks, Alex!