Low-Calorie Low-Calorie Main Dish Low-Calorie Fish & Seafood Low-Calorie Mussel Italian Mussels & Pasta 4.7 (6) 6 Reviews This combination of mussels with plenty of garlic, parsley, saffron and white wine was inspired by the Venetian soup zuppa de peoci, which is usually ladled over sliced crusty bread. Here we serve it over pasta. For a more elegant presentation you can remove the mussels from their shells before serving…but then again, who wants to be elegant? Enjoy! By John Ash John Ash John Ash is a two-time James Beard Award–winning chef who has contributed a variety of seafood recipes to EatingWell. His restaurant John Ash & Company was a trailblazer in the local food movement, pairing seasonal ingredients with local wines well before the farm-to-table trend gained prominence. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Updated on October 4, 2024 Tested by EatingWell Test Kitchen Tested by EatingWell Test Kitchen The EatingWell Test Kitchen is comprised of a group of culinary professionals who develop and test our recipes. Our recipes go through a rigorous process, which includes testing by trained recipe testers, using different equipment (e.g., gas and electric stoves) and a variety of tools and techniques to make sure that it will really work when you make it at home. Testers shop major supermarkets to research availability of ingredients. Finally, a Registered Dietitian reviews each recipe to ensure that we deliver food that's not only delicious, but adheres to our nutrition guidelines as well. Learn more about our food philosophy and nutrition parameters. Meet the EatingWell Test Kitchen Reviewed by Dietitian Sylvia Geiger, M.S., RD Reviewed by Dietitian Sylvia Geiger, M.S., RD As EatingWell’s former dietitian and nutrition advisor, Sylvia Geiger worked closely with the culinary and editorial team to ensure that our recipes are not only delicious, but also meet the nutrition parameters we have set for ourselves. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Save Rate PRINT Share Close Cook Time: 40 mins Total Time: 40 mins Servings: 4 Yield: 4 servings Nutrition Profile: Diabetes-Friendly Dairy-Free Healthy Aging Healthy Immunity Low-Sodium High-Fiber Heart-Healthy High-Protein Low-Calorie Jump to Nutrition Facts Jump to recipe We think the simplicity of the ingredients in this Italian Mussels & Pasta dish is its superpower. Nutty whole-wheat linguine creates a wholesome bed for the buttery sea-kissed mussels. Heart-healthy olive oil teams up with garlicky antioxidant-rich tomatoes infused with saffron's subtle earthy-sweet floral notes and a soft heat from crushed red pepper to create a delightful sauce. Bright lemon zest and fresh grassy parsley finish this dish off with flare. Keep reading for expert tips, including what to serve with this dish. Tips from the EatingWell Test Kitchen These are the key tips we learned while developing and testing this recipe in our Test Kitchen to make sure it works, tastes great and is good for you too! Serve with a fresh baguette or another favorite bread, Leafy Green Salad or Best Caesar Salad with Crispy Parmesan. For dessert, we would serve a refreshing sorbet. To clean mussels: Rinse well under cold running water and use a stiff brush to remove any barnacles or grit from the shell. Discard any mussels with broken shells or any shells that remain open after lightly tapping them. Pull off any fibrous "beard" that might be pinched between the shells; the "beards" of most cultivated mussels are already removed. Nutrition Notes Whole-wheat linguine is made from the entire wheat kernel. This means that it contains most of the original nutrients in the grain, including fiber and antioxidants. Regular pasta is made from wheat that's had its outer layers removed, which also removes some of these nutrients. With that said, if you can't get past the heartier nature of whole-wheat pasta and prefer to stick with regular pasta, that's okay. You'll still get carbohydrates for energy, some fiber, vitamins and minerals. Mussels are a great source of lean protein and iron. While you might equate vitamin C to fruits and vegetables, mussels are also a good source of this immune-boosting vitamin, according to the USDA. But where mussels really shine is in their vitamin B12 content. In 3 oz. of mussels, you'll get a whopping 20.4 mcg of B12, a vitamin necessary for a healthy nervous system. That's about 850% of the recommended daily allowance of this B vitamin! Like most seafood, mussels also provide some heart-healthy omega-3s. Adding to the vitamin C and fiber content of this dish are tomatoes. Also loaded with the antioxidant lycopene and vitamin A, the nutrients in tomatoes combine to support heart and skin health and reduce cancer risk. Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients 8 ounces whole-wheat linguine or spaghetti ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil 2 large cloves garlic, chopped 1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes with basil Big pinch of saffron threads (see Note), soaked in 2 tablespoons water or white wine 2 pounds mussels, cleaned (see Tips) ¾ cup dry white wine Big pinch of crushed red pepper ¼ teaspoon salt Freshly ground pepper to taste ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest (see Tips) Directions Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and transfer to a large serving bowl. Cover to keep warm. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until it just begins to color, 2 to 3 minutes. Carefully add crushed tomatoes and saffron with soaking liquid (the mixture may splatter) and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring frequently, until thickened slightly, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, bring mussels and wine to a boil in a Dutch oven (or other large pot) over high heat. Cover, reduce heat to medium and cook until the mussels open, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer the mussels with a slotted spoon to a large bowl. (Discard any unopened mussels.) Strain the mussel broth through a fine-mesh sieve into the tomato sauce. Stir in crushed red pepper and simmer over medium heat for 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle about half the sauce over the pasta and toss to coat. Divide the pasta among 4 pasta bowls, top with mussels and spoon the remaining sauce over the mussels. Serve topped with parsley and lemon zest. Frequently Asked Questions What are saffron threads? They're the dried stigma from Crocus sativus or saffron, which adds flavor and golden color to a variety of popular cuisines from the Middle East, Africa and Europe. To help release its delicious flavor, soak it in a little water, wine or broth for about 30 minutes before adding it to a dish. You can find saffron in the spice section of supermarkets, gourmet shops or tienda.com. It will keep in an airtight container for several years. What's an easy way to grate citrus zest? A microplane grater is a great kitchen gadget for grating citrus zest. It was originally designed to function as a woodworking tool (called a carpenter's rasp). Its razor-sharp edges effortlessly shave off the zest, making it easier to leave the bitter white pith on the fruit. It's the right tool when you want fluffy, very fine citrus zest. Traditional kitchen graters can also be used for zesting citrus, but they tend to rip and shred the zest, giving a somewhat more clumpy, wet result. Originally appeared: EatingWell Magazine, May/June 2011 Rate It Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 471 Calories 17g Fat 56g Carbs 20g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 4 Calories 471 % Daily Value * Total Carbohydrate 56g 20% Dietary Fiber 9g 33% Total Sugars 7g Protein 20g 41% Total Fat 17g 22% Saturated Fat 3g 13% Cholesterol 24mg 8% Vitamin A 687IU 14% Vitamin C 23mg 26% Folate 85mcg 21% Sodium 510mg 22% Calcium 87mg 7% Iron 7mg 37% Magnesium 125mg 30% Potassium 610mg 13% Nutrition information is calculated by a registered dietitian using an ingredient database but should be considered an estimate. * Daily Values (DVs) are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume each day. Percent Daily Value (%DV) found on nutrition labels tells you how much a serving of a particular food or recipe contributes to each of those total recommended amounts. Per the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the daily value is based on a standard 2,000 calorie diet. Depending on your calorie needs or if you have a health condition, you may need more or less of particular nutrients. (For example, it’s recommended that people following a heart-healthy diet eat less sodium on a daily basis compared to those following a standard diet.) (-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a special diet for medical reasons, be sure to consult with your primary care provider or a registered dietitian to better understand your personal nutrition needs. Additional reporting by Carrie Myers, M.S. Carrie Myers, M.S. Carrie Myers is a portfolio entrepreneur with more than 30 years of experience in the health and wellness space. As a freelance writer and editor, Carrie has worked for both consumer and trade print and online publications. She's been quoted in several articles as a health and fitness expert. Carrie is also a certified life and wellness coach and exercise physiologist, and the founder of CarrieMichele Co., a lifestyle company that helps women create lives they love where they can be authentic. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines and Linda Frahm Linda Frahm Linda Frahm has been a copy editor and fact checker working with food and nutrition content for the past 30-plus years for consumer print and online publications. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Sources EatingWell is committed to using high-quality, reputable sources—including peer-reviewed studies—to support the facts in our articles. Read about our editorial policies and standards to learn more about how we fact check our content for accuracy. U.S. Department of Agriculture. FoodData Central. Mollusks, mussel, blue, cooked, moist heat.