One of the typical dishes from La Spezia is stuffed mussels ‘alla spezzina’. As with any traditional recipe, every family has its own version, but they are all very similar. I have read many recipes, compared them, and arrived at my own recipe, which I think is a perfect balance of aromas and flavors. Of course, I haven’t changed any ingredient from the original, I just adjusted some quantities here and there, that’s it. Then I used homemade peeled tomato preserve from last year instead of fresh tomatoes or passata as someone suggested. I find that with chopped peeled tomatoes, this recipe is perfect, and I’ll also tell you that the sauce is amazing, so I recommend making plenty, and maybe the next day you can make sautéed spaghetti with this sauce, and they will be delicious.
Let’s cut to the chase and find out what you need and how to prepare this recipe.
If you like mussels, you’ll also like the peppered mussels or the stuffed gratinated mussels, or even the spaghetti with mussels.
Let’s see how to prepare the stuffed mussels ‘alla spezzina’ right after the photo as always!!
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Very economical
- Preparation time: 1 Hour
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 252.54 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 13.28 (g) of which sugars 2.24 (g)
- Proteins 19.20 (g)
- Fat 13.12 (g) of which saturated 3.72 (g)of which unsaturated 5.24 (g)
- Fibers 1.48 (g)
- Sodium 571.96 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 100 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for Stuffed Mussels ‘alla Spezzina’
- 2.2 lbs mussels
- 2.12 oz mortadella
- 3.17 oz milk rolls
- 3.38 tbsp milk
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tbsp Parmigiano Reggiano DOP (grated)
- 1 tsp parsley
- 1 tsp thyme
- 2 pinches black pepper
- 1 clove garlic
- 10.58 oz peeled tomatoes
- 1 onion (small or one clove of garlic)
- to taste basil (fresh)
- Half glass white wine
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Preparation of Stuffed Mussels ‘alla Spezzina’
To prepare the mussels ‘alla spezzina’, first clean the mussels very well, remove the byssus or beard by pulling downwards with a sharp knife, scrape the mussels very well to remove all residues, then rinse them thoroughly.
Open at least 12 mussels and remove the mollusks; for the others, open them gently to keep the shells attached (these will be stuffed later).
Now prepare the stuffing, you can use a food processor or a mixer, so break the bread into pieces and soak it in milk, then squeeze it and place it in the container.
Add the grated cheese, the 12 mussels without shells, the garlic, the herbs, and the mortadella, chop everything very well, and season with a little freshly ground pepper.
Do not use salt in the stuffing or the sauce because the mussels are very salty on their own.
With this filling, stuff the mollusks well and try to bring the shells together, set aside temporarily.
In a high-sided pan that can hold all the stuffed mussels ‘alla spezzina’, prepare the sauce.
Finely chop the onion and let it soften with the extra virgin olive oil for a few minutes (some use a clove of garlic which works just as well).
Add the hand-torn basil, arrange the mussels well, and deglaze with white wine. Once it has evaporated, add the roughly chopped peeled tomatoes and bring to a simmer.
Cook on the stovetop for 25/30 minutes or in the oven, adding a little water if the sauce becomes too thick, and…
ENJOY YOUR MEAL
Preservation of Stuffed Mussels ‘alla Spezzina’
The stuffed mussels ‘alla spezzina’ can be stored in the refrigerator for 2 days in an airtight container.
You can freeze the ‘alla spezzina’ mussels once cooked and cooled or once stuffed and still raw to then cook them in the sauce while still frozen.
Variations
Some replace the onion with a clove of garlic in the sauce and some use parsley instead of basil, but I much prefer the aroma of basil.
Other Recipes
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