One of my favorite ways to cook shellfish

I love fresh shellfish especially mussels. I usually have mussels cooked in a white wine sauce,  so having the Italian version was a real and tantalizing treat!

***A big tip for cooking mussels! When you cook mussels they must be alive before you cook them or then you could get sick. In order to ensure this run the mussels under cold water, when you do so they will close their shells. If the shells do not close the mussels are dead and toss them, do not cook and eat them.***

Mussels Marinara

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 4


Ingredients:

1/2 Tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/8  Tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cups of not fat, sodium, or sugar added chopped Roma tomatoes
2 pounds of fresh mussels, scrubbed, debearded* (take off the stringy bits (beard))* and rinsed in cold water.

1 Tbsp of fresh chopped Italian flat parsley leaves

1 Tbsp of fresh oregano leaves

1 Tbsp of  fresh chopped basil leaves

Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and saute until it is deep golden brown, about 2 minutes, lifting the sides of the pan to stir the garlic occasionally in the small collection of oil. Add the red pepper flakes, then quickly add the wine and reduce it by half. Add the tomatoes and bring to a simmer.
Scoop the mussels into the pan and stir with a spoon to get them in an even layer. Cover the pot and simmer for 1 minute. Lift the cover and stir the mussels with a long spoon to make sure they are all opening.
Continue to cook until all the mussels open, about 8 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Divide the mussels evenly among 4 bowls and enjoy!