Marinara Clams are a classic Italian dish that looks far more sophisticated than the effort it takes! It’s easy, affordable and tastes amazing.
If you’re a fan of clams, here’s one of the best ways to make them: marinara clams! This Italian-inspired dish is often found on restaurant menus. But unlike most restaurant fare, it is seriously just do it at home! Alex and I love going to Italy, and the bold flavors of this clam marinara took us straight to the Amalfi Coast. The mussels are cooked in a flavorful marinara sauce flavored with basil and garlic. After absorbing the marinara flavor, they’re served over al dente bucatini pasta. And it takes less than 30 minutes to get ready! It works for both a romantic evening and a fancy Italian dinner. Ready to start?
The Secrets of Marinara Clams
This conch marinara is made with just a few simple components. As with any good Italian cuisine, there is a need to use simplicity highest quality ingredients. Here are the secrets of a good mussel marinara:
- A fantastic marinara sauce. This recipe uses our Easy Marinara Sauce, which contains only a few high-quality ingredients. Using fire-roasted tomatoes is a must: they can be found at most grocery stores or online. Its sweet flavor makes this marinara with fresh basil and balsamic vinegar easy to prepare in no time.
- Fresh mussels. You will also want the best quality molds for this recipe. Make sure you use a supplier you trust and follow our sustainable seafood guidelines.
- Bucatini or spaghetti. The difference between bad and good pasta is easy to taste! Use a pasta brand that you trust. We like to use bucatini in this recipe, which is basically spaghetti with a hole in the middle.
You prepare the marinara and then simmer the mussels in the marinara for about 6-8 minutes until they open. Then serve over pasta! See? Really simply.
How to clean clams
The only part of this recipe that requires technique is cleaning the molds. This article How to Clean Shells on Epicurious is very useful and worth reading, especially when buying shells. Here are the basic steps to cleaning clams:
- Rinse them off. Place the mussels in a colander and rinse with cold water. Use your hands to scrub the dirt.
- Test all open shells. Find open-shelled clams and knock them against the sink. When the shell closes, it’s alive and ready to cook; If the shell stays open, discard it.
- Remove the beards. The beard is a tuft of fibers attached to the clam’s shell (it looks like a small rope hanging down). The mussels often arrive already cleaned. But if you see beards, remove them by pulling them out with your fingers.
Once you’ve followed these steps, you’re good to go! Proceed with the following recipe.
What to serve with marinara clams
Marinara clams are perfect for a cozy Italian dinner or a romantic dinner for two! But use with what? Here are some options:
Looking for easier Italian recipes?
Easy Italian recipes are our forte here at A Couple Cooks! Here are a few others we recommend if you like that clam marinara:
This Marinara Clams Recipe is…
pescetarian.
The description
Marinara Clams are a classic Italian dish that looks way more sophisticated than the effort it takes! It’s easy, affordable and tastes amazing.
- 1 easy marinara sauce recipe (28 ounces)
- 8 ounces Spaghetti or bucatini pasta
- 1 1/2 mold books
- To serve: Chopped fresh basil (leftovers marinara), olive oil
- Start the easy marinara sauce.
- Clean the molds (see section above).
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta al dente (start tasting a few minutes before the package recommends: you want them to be tender but still a bit firm inside). Then drain.
- After the marinara sauce has simmered 15 minutes, add the mussels and cook, covered, over medium-high heat until they open, 6-8 minutes. Stir several times.
- To serve, place the noodles in a bowl and pour the clams and marinara over the noodles. Garnish with chopped basil and a drizzle of olive oil.
- Category: main course
- Method: Cook
- Kitchen: Italian
Keywords: Mussels marinara, mussels recipe
