Skip to content

Fish, Italy

Zuppa di cozze with grilled bread

Zuppa di cozze is a Neapolitan dish of mussels simmered in a garlic and chili tomato sauce, served over grilled bread. For 4 people, it takes 35 minutes, it's very easy, and costs about €3.00 per serving. The key is fresh, well sorted mussels and a sauce that's had time to thicken before they go in.

Tonight it's zuppa di cozze from Naples, mussels in a spicy garlic tomato sauce, served over slices of grilled bread.

Zuppa di cozze with grilled bread
Total time
35 min
Difficulty
Very easy
Cost per person
€3.00
Calories per person
650 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Summer, Fall

Zuppa di cozze plays on the contrast between tender mussel meat and crisp grilled bread that soaks up the tomato sauce. The chili wakes the dish up without overpowering it, and the raw garlic rubbed onto the bread adds one more layer of flavor at the end. It's a generous, fragrant dish that smells like the sea and sunshine at once.

This is the kind of recipe to pull out on a weeknight when you want something different without spending hours cooking, or on a Sunday evening with good bread and no shame about using your hands. Mon Chou suggests it more for the adults at the table, since kids often prefer mussels in a simpler form.

The ingredients

4 people

Fish counter

  • Mussels 2 kg

Pantry

  • Crushed tomatoesoften in the pantry 400 g
  • Chili flakesoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • White wineoften in the pantry 10 cl
  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 4 tbsp
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Fruits and vegetables

  • Garlic 4 cloves
  • Parsley 8 sprigs

Bakery

  • Country bread 8 slices

Allergens Mollusks, Gluten

The step by step recipe

  1. Scrub the mussels and discard any that stay open.

    Tap an open mussel on the counter, if it doesn't close, throw it away.

  2. Cook the garlic and chili in the oil, then add the tomatoes. 10 min

    Let the sauce thicken before adding the mussels, they still release a lot of water.

  3. Add the mussels and white wine, then cover. 7 min

    Shake the covered pot instead of stirring, the mussels open without getting crushed.

  4. Toast the bread. 3 min

    Rub a garlic clove on the warm bread, the toasted crust grates it perfectly.

  5. Serve the mussels over the bread with the parsley.

    Put an empty bowl on the table for the shells, it keeps the meal tidy.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick mussels that are tightly closed and give them a sniff, a clean sea smell is a good sign, a strong fishy smell is not.
  • Don't salt the sauce until the mussels have finished cooking, they already release salt as they open.
  • Keep a little cooking liquid aside if the sauce looks too thick, you can always spoon more over the bread when serving.

The variations

  • Swap some of the mussels for clams for a more varied zuppa di mare, the cooking time stays the same.
  • For a shellfish free version, use large chunks of firm white fish instead of mussels and shorten the cooking time slightly.
  • To save time, buy mussels already cleaned at the fish counter, you'll easily cut ten minutes off the prep.

What to serve it with

  • A glass of cold dry white wine
  • A simple green salad
  • Lemon wedges to squeeze over

Storage

Mussels are best eaten the same day, their texture suffers when reheated. If you have leftover sauce without the shells, keep it in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 days and warm it gently in a pot.

Questions about this dish

How do you know if a mussel is safe to cook?

A fresh mussel is closed, or closes when you tap it on the counter. If it stays open, throw it away, it's no longer good to eat.

Can you make the tomato sauce ahead of time?

Yes, you can make the garlic, chili and tomato sauce a few hours ahead and reheat it gently. Add the fresh mussels only when you're ready to serve, they don't hold well.

What if a mussel stays closed after cooking?

Discard any mussels still closed after the 7 minutes of cooking, they weren't good. Don't try to force them open.

What bread works if I don't have country bread?

A slightly stale baguette or rye bread both work well, as long as it holds up under the broiler. What matters is a dense enough crumb to soak up the sauce without falling apart.

How long does it take to make a zuppa di cozze with grilled bread?

Count 35 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “very easy”.

How many calories are in a zuppa di cozze with grilled bread?

About 650 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a zuppa di cozze with grilled bread cost?

About €3.00 per serving, or €12.00 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains mollusks, gluten. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

Italian cuisine

See all

Recipes with raw garlic

See all