🇮🇹 Italian · Pasta
🦪 Spaghetti alle Cozze
Spaghetti alle Cozze
A classic coastal pasta from southern Italy, spaghetti tossed with plump mussels steamed open in garlic, white wine, and a touch of tomato, finished with fresh parsley.
Found up and down Italy's southern coastline in countless small variations, spaghetti alle cozze celebrates the briny sweetness of fresh mussels with the lightest possible hand, letting good seafood and a splash of wine do most of the work.
Ingredients
Equipment: Large pot with lid, Large sauté pan
- 400 g (14 oz) spaghetti
- 1.5 kg (3.3 lb) fresh mussels, cleaned and debearded
- 4 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1 dried chili, crumbled (optional)
- 150 ml (⅔ cup) dry white wine
- 200 g (7 oz) cherry tomatoes, halved
- 80 ml (⅓ cup) extra virgin olive oil
- Fresh parsley, chopped
- Salt, to taste
Method
- Warm half the olive oil in a large pot, add half the garlic and the chili, and sauté briefly.
- Add the mussels and wine, cover, and cook over high heat, shaking the pot occasionally, until the mussels open, about 4–5 minutes; discard any that stay closed.
- Remove most of the mussels from their shells, keeping some whole in the shell for presentation, and strain and reserve the cooking liquid.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti until very al dente.
- Meanwhile, warm the remaining olive oil in a wide pan, sauté the remaining garlic, and add the cherry tomatoes, cooking until they soften slightly.
- Pour in the reserved mussel cooking liquid and simmer for a few minutes to reduce slightly.
- Drain the pasta and add it to the pan along with the shelled and whole mussels, tossing everything together over heat for a minute.
- Finish with parsley and serve immediately.
Chef Tips
- Scrub and debeard the mussels thoroughly, and discard any that don't close when tapped before cooking.
- Straining the mussel cooking liquid through a fine sieve or cloth removes any grit before it goes into the sauce.
- Keep the tomato light — this is a seafood-forward dish, not a tomato sauce with seafood added.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Overcooking the mussels once they're added back to the pasta, which toughens them.
- Skipping the mussel liquid, which is the main source of the dish's deep briny flavor.
- Adding cheese, which is traditionally never paired with seafood pasta in Italian cooking.
Nutrition (per serving)
Health Benefits
- Mussels are an excellent source of protein, iron, and vitamin B12.
- A relatively light dish, low in saturated fat compared to cream- or cheese-based pastas.
Cultural Note
This dish appears in countless forms along Italy's southern and central coastlines, with nearly every fishing village claiming its own particular version.
Storage & Serving
Storage: Best eaten fresh; seafood pasta does not keep or reheat well.
Reheating: Not recommended; the mussels toughen significantly on reheating.
Serve with: Crusty bread for mopping up the sauce, A chilled coastal white wine