Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Mussels in Basil Cream Sauce
Mussels in basil cream sauce make an especially inviting bowl, with their shells catching little pools of the fragrant sauce. White wine gives it a bright edge beneath the cream.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Original yield
- Serves 3
- Ingredients
- 11 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Appetizers · Appetizers & snacks · Dinner
- Primary protein
- Seafood
- Cuisine
- Italian
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 30 minutes or less
A few quick notes
1. Build the wine base
Soften the shallot with chopped garlic in butter, then bring the added wine to a boil.
2. Lift out the mussels
Use a slotted spoon to remove the cooked mussels before making the cream sauce from their cooking liquid.
3. Simmer gently
Keep the first addition of half and half at a low simmer before the basil mixture joins it.
Get to know the ingredients
Mussels
Scrub and remove the beards from the mussels in cold water before beginning the cooking stage.
Garlic
Use the chopped clove in the wine base and reserve the other garlic for the blender mixture.
Half and half
Divide the half and half between the wine reduction and the blended basil sauce as directed.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 3. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 8 steps completeMake room for Mussels in Basil Cream Sauce
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Sauce over the shells
Pour the finished basil cream sauce over the cooked mussels once the sauce has had its final simmer.
A little more help as you go
Discard unopened cooked shells
After cooking, discard mussels that have not opened when you remove the rest from the pot.
Blend the basil mixture
Puree the basil with Parmesan, olive oil, garlic and remaining half and half before adding it.
A few questions you might have
Do I cover the mussels while cooking?
Yes, cover the pot after adding the mussels to the boiling wine base until they open.
When do I season the sauce?
Add salt and pepper after stirring the blended basil mixture into the cream, before its final simmer.
Does the Parmesan go on top?
The Parmesan is blended into the basil cream mixture before that mixture joins the cooking liquid.
Why remove the mussels before the sauce is finished?
The directions finish the cream sauce separately, then pour it over the mussels at the end.
Should the shallot be sliced?
Use minced shallot so it softens with the chopped garlic in the melted butter.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: skinnytaste.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.