If you love Mussels, then my Tuscan Mussel recipe is perfect for you!
I’m not quite sure when it happened or exactly how it happened, but one day my wife decided she like mussels. This was, of course, the same woman who didn’t think she liked them for the last 12 years I have been asking about them….hmmm.
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Now I’m not complaining mind you, I do enjoy a good plate full of steaming mussels with a loaf of crusty bread and lately, my sauce of choice has been aioli. One of the restaurants we had gone to a while ago served their mussels with white beans in the sauce, and they were absolutely delicious!
Now once again, my wife who normally won’t even look at a bean, had no problems eating the mussels, beans and all! Not being one to miss an opportunity to use my beloved cannellini beans in a dish, I decided to replicate the mussels we had out at home!
To say they were nothing special with the beans would have been an understatement.
Somewhere along the line I had missed a crucial step to making the beans and the mussels one with the universe….sigh
I think you know me well enough by now to know that I don’t give up too easily, especially with food, so when I bought my seafood last week I picked up a bag of mussels too. As busy as the week was the mussels almost didn’t make it on the menu, and oh how I hate losing mussels!
Here’s a tip too, if you do need to cook them, after cooking they freeze pretty good, but unlike clams, they do not freeze well raw, the meat kind of explodes. So steam them take the meat out of the shell and freeze it on a cookie tray and then place them in a ziplock bag until you need them!
So let’s get back to the mussels! I mentioned the bag of mussels waiting for me patiently in the refrigerator, and right next to it was a head of broccoli rabe that had been beckoning to me every time I opened the door ( I have been on a broccoli rabe kick lately, its always on hand, right next to the pineapple) I thought why not, it has to improve the flavor of the beans doesn’t it?
Well my friends, let me tell you, It went beyond my expectations, the blending of the flavors was truly a match made in heaven! The bitter broccoli rabe helped enhance the flavor of the cannellini beans, and the mussels just danced across the plate so happy to be a part of this meal!!
I now have a new go-to mussel recipe, and I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.
If you enjoyed this recipe you may also like these:
- Quick and Easy Steamed Mussels
- New Zealand Mussels Five-Ways
- Clams Casino
- Oysters Rockefeller
- Garlic Oysters
- Smoked Baked Beans
Tuscan Mussels
Ingredients
- 2 pounds cultivated mussels Bag of mussels approx: about 2 pounds
- 1 head broccoli rabe
- 15 oz cannellini beans small can
- 4 cloves garlic
- 6 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 2 ounces white wine optional
- pinch of crushed red pepper
- sea salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoon grated Romano cheese
Instructions
- Begin heating your pasta water, cook pasta per instructions on the box.
- While the pasta is getting ready, clean your mussels. Remove any seaweed or debris from the shell and discard any mussels that are open! If they won't close when you tap them, they are dead. Never eat dead shellfish! Rinse your mussels in cold water thoroughly, then allow them to drain in a colander.
- Wash the head of broccoli rabe, and cut it into small strips about ¾ of an inch.
- Slice 2 cloves of garlic and place in a large saute pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, as the garlic starts to cook, add the broccoli rabe and continue to saute for 7-10 minutes until the broccoli rabe is tender.
- Open a small can of cannellini beans and rinse them in cold water. Add the beans to the broccoli rabe, season with sea salt, pepper, and grated Romano cheese. Add a little water to the pan from the pasta pot. Set this aside until serving.
- At this point you should begin cooking your pasta, DeCecco is my pasta of choice and it calls for 11 minutes which is just enough time to cook the mussels.
- In another saute pan add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 cloves of sliced garlic, and a pinch of crushed red pepper. Allow the garlic to begin cooking then add the mussels, the white wine and cover to let them steam open, after about 5 minutes the mussels will open, allow them to cook for another 2-3 minutes to fully cook the meat.
- Add the broccoli rabe mixture to the mussels. Cook until broccoli rabe is reheated. Serve and enhoy!
a. maren says
oh dear, this looks incredible. your seafood recipes really inspire me!
Elyse @The Cultural Dish says
Haha well at least your wife finally came around… better late then never I guess! I'll be giving this recipe a try for sure! Thankfully my boyfriend loves mussels just as much as I do! Thanks for sharing!
Ocean Breezes and Country Sneezes says
Your wife sounds like my husband who doesn't like salmon, but we recently discovered he liked artic char . . . do you think I can find it anywhere?
Your mussels sound absolutely delicious! There is a restaurant that I go to that makes Greek mussels, if I can find the recipe I'll give it to you!
Have a great day!
Mary
Tastemonials says
I just learned to like mussels recently as well. I'm not sure about the beans, though, like your wife, I'm not a fan. I like the mussels spicy with red onion, cilantro and hot pepper, sort of Peruvian style.
Barbara says
Looks marvelous, Dennis. Mussels are a favorite around here too. But I do them very simply. I really must try this; so many delicious components….and oh that bread!!
Maranda says
I'm so glad you were able to overcome the dish and find a way to make it as flavorful as you wanted it to be. It looks great!
warmvanillasugar says
Neat idea! This looks so great.
Kate from Scratch says
OOoh, wow. classic and delcious. Amazing photos too. I love this. Congrats in advance on the Top 9. 😉 *fingers crossed and knocks on wood*
anniebakes says
I love mussels and this looks fantastic! great photography! anne
Gastronome Tart says
I felt that way about oysters. Now I love them and my husband still doesn't understand how I flipped! This looks amazing! I have never cooked mussels or clams at home before. Thanks for the recipe.
A SPICY PERSPECTIVE says
That is exactly what happened to me. I couln't stand the gritty texture–then one day I suddenly loved them. It just goes to show I'm not a liar when I tell my kids, "If you try something enough times, one day you'll discover you like it."
Pretend Chef says
The crusty bread is a must. I have never seen beans with mussels before but that sounds like a great addition. This would make such for a romantic dinner. Yummy!
Mari says
Perfect way of preparing them, I wish I had that plate in front of my right now. My hubby will love it!
Have a fantastic Monday 🙂
Jill Colonna says
Dennis, not only have I never seen mussels with beans (looks fabulous) but never knew about freezing them like this. Great advice – merci, Chef!
Andrea (From the Bookshelf) says
I want to dive right into the bowl. The mussels looks delicious!