Mussels in Spicy Garlic Tomato Sauce

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This mussel recipe is inspired by a dish at the ever-loved Victoria restaurant, The Tapa Bar. This Spanish tapas restaurant serves up the most wonderful mussels I have ever had – Mussels de Cha Cha Cha. I’ve tried for awhile to recreate these mussels, and although I could never get it quite right, I think this recipe is a close second. These mussels are bathed in a sauce that is super garlicky, slightly spicy and perfect for sopping up with lots of bread. Delicioso.

The saga of the ‘Mussels de Cha Cha Cha’.

I think it’s safe to say that my favourite restaurant in Victoria is The Tapa Bar. It’s the restaurant I usually choose for my birthday dinner each year. I can go on and on about my favourite dishes from Tapa Bar (the Tostada, Gambas al Ajillo, Almond Stuffed Dates, Chorizo Fondue are just a few of my top dishes) as much as I could go on and on about the incredible service I have always received at this restaurant. And the cherry on top of an experience here is either dining on the romantic patio in the adorable, string-lit Trounce Alley or tucking into a cozy table in the warm, colourful restaurant interior.

But most importantly. Those mussels. I dream about them. I used go there for dinner with a friend of mine, we’d ignore the tapas aspect of the restaurant, both get an order of the mussels and just have a heyday. We’d devour basket after basket of fresh focaccia for dipping and then sip the sauce like soup at the end. It’s seriously that good. And since the servers know how good the sauce is, even after you’ve finished off the plump mussels, they will never try to take away your bowl of sauce without asking if you need more bread for it first. They get it. And I love that so much. 

P.S. The mussels are also on their tasty happy hour menu. Food on sale always tastes extra delish imo.

Print Recipe

Mussels in Spicy Garlic Tomato Sauce

These mussels are bathed in a sauce that is super garlicky, slightly spicy and perfect for sopping up with lots of bread. Delicioso.

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time40 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr

Course: Appetizer, Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: Canadian, Spanish

Keyword: clams, copycat recipe, garlic, Heavy Cream, mussels, mussels de cha cha cha, sauce, seafood, Tomato Passata

Servings: 2

Calories: 472kcal

Ingredients

• 1 pound mussels
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp butter
• 10 or so cloves of garlic more if the cloves are small, less if the cloves are large
• chili flakes to taste, a pinch for just a hint of spice, to 1 tsp or more for a lot of spice
• ⅓ cup white wine or chicken broth
• 1 small jar or can tomato passata sauce or purée, about 2 cups (500 mL)
• 2 tbsp heavy cream
• sea salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• lots of crusty bread

Instructions

• Scrub and wash the mussels well in cold water with a rough sponge. Using a paper towel or cloth, remove the beard from the mussels. The beard is the stringy piece of mussel that pokes out of the side of the shell. It can be stubborn to pull out so I find that using a paper towel helps grip it. 
• Check for dead mussels by handling each one to make sure the shell is tightly closed. If the mussel shell is not tightly closed, tap it, squeeze it closed and watch if the mussel closes the shell. If the mussel is still alive, it will sometimes close the shell really quickly and sometimes it takes a few seconds. Set it aside and check in a minute or so if the mussel has closed. All closed mussels can be cooked. Discard any dead mussels that will not close their shells. Don’t be tempted to cook them. I’ve never accidentally cooked a dead mussel but I’ve heard the horror stories of the lingering smell.
• Roughly chop the garlic, till it’s about the size of peas.
• Place a large skillet over medium heat.
• Once warm, add the olive oil and the butter to the skillet.
• Once the butter has melted, turn heat down to low, add the chopped garlic and sauté for 10 minutes.
• Add in the chili flakes and the wine. Stir to combine.
• Turn the heat up to medium and let bubble until the wine is half reduced, about 5-8 minutes.
• Add the tomato passata and bring to a bubble. 
• Once bubbling, turn the heat down to low and cook 10 minutes.
• Season with sea salt and pepper to taste.
• Add the mussels to the skillet and toss to coat. Turn heat up to medium, cover and cook until the mussels have all opened, about 6-8 minutes. Discard any mussels that don’t open.
• Remove the skillet from the heat and add the heavy cream, tossing to combine.
• Roughly chop the parsley and sprinkle over the mussels.
• Eat with lots of crusty bread to soak up that sauce.