Mussels Italian Style
Ingredients
- 2 Tbs. olive oil
- 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 28-oz. cans of whole Italian tomatoes, chopped
- 1/2 lemon, thinly sliced
- 1 tsp. dried basil
- 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
- 2 cups red wine
- 80 mussels in shells, scrubbed and debearded if not already cleaned.
Instructions
- 1
In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil until it shimmers. Add onion and garlic and cook until they brown at the edges.
- 2
Add the red wine. As soon as it comes to a boil, add the tomatoes and their juice, lemon, basil, oregano, crushed red pepper and black pepper. Simmer over medium-low heat for 15 minutes.
- 3
Check the mussels to make sure all are tightly closed. Add them to the pan, cover and cook over medium-high heat about ten minutes, or until all the mussels open. Agitate the pan to slosh some of the sauce inside the shells. Serve mussels and sauce in large bowls with soup spoons, oyster forks, and toasted Italian bread (or garlic bread!) on the side.