Mussels with a White Wine Tomato Sauce

I love the mussels at my favorite Belgian tavern in the city, Eulogy. They are to die for; they are so tender and the sauce is amazing to soak up with the hunks of bread they give you. And their beer list is nothing to shake a stick at either! I've always wondered if I could recreate something like them at home, and finally decided to give it a try.

This recipe wasn't inspired by anything in particular that my tavern has, but they were very tasty. I served it over angel hair pasta and spinach to turn it into a meal, but it would be great as an appetizer as well. Either way though, you definitely need a big hunk of bread to mop up all that delicious sauce!

Mussels with a White Wine Tomato Sauce
(Serves 2)

1 Tablespoon of olive oil
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 of a medium white onion, diced

1/3 cup of dry white wine
1 cup of clam juice
1 (14.5 oz.) can of diced tomatoes with juice
1/4 teaspoon of crushed red pepper
black pepper

1 pound of fresh mussels

Directions: Heat olive oil in large stock pot over medium heat. Add minced garlic and onions and cook until fragrant and onions are soft. Add white wine, and allow to reduce slightly. Add clam juice, tomatoes with juice, red pepper, and a dash of black pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for about 20 minutes to let the flavors blend together.

Rinse mussels, and discard any that have opened. Bring the sauce back to a boil, and add mussels. Cover and allow to boil for 6-7 minutes, occasionally giving the pot a fast rotate/shake to allow the mussels to cook evenly. Remove mussels with a slotted spoon, and ladle the sauce on top. Enjoy!

Adapted from allrecipes.com, original recipe here.