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Why we love this recipe
Mussels are one of the easiest, most delicious and least expensive form of seafood, and they are available pretty much year round at your seafood counter, so I am always up for a new mussels recipe.
Meantime, apple cider is pretty much a fall treat, and I love heating it up on the stove and having a mug of steamy cider as much as the next girl, but it’s amazing how much cider I always have left over, looking at me hopefully from my refrigerator.
The logical answer is to use it in dessert, but being a savory first person, somehow apple cider always finds its way into my main courses (hello, slow cooker apple cider pot roast!).
And then suddenly it dawned on me. I love mussels. I love apple cider. And so I steamed those mussels in that cider.
Add a little cream and brandy and pasta and BACON to the party as a dreamy, creamy sauce and OH MY GOODNESS. Mussels in cider sauce, here I come!
Ingredients you need
Ingredient additions and substitutions
- Cider: If you are making this outside of apple cider season, regular apple juice will do just fine.
- Bacon: This can be swapped out with leftover chopped ham if you prefer. Simply add in the ham when you stir in the cream and the pasta.
- Pasta: Any long pasta will work for this recipe – we love it with angel hair pasta, but spaghetti and linguine will work too.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make this recipe
Step 1: Place a half pound of chopped bacon in a heavy large skillet and cook until crisp. Scoop it out and drain on paper towels, leaving the drippings in the pan.
Step 2: Cook pasta according to package directions and let it drain.
Step 3: Rinse off 4 pounds of mussels, discarding any that are opened or cracked.
Step 4: Place a cup of apple cider and the mussels in the skillet with the bacon drippings. Cover, bring to a boil and cook until mussels open, about 5 minutes. Toss out any mussels that didn’t open. Transfer mussels to a large bowl and cover to keep warm.
Step 5: Add a quarter cup of brandy and a cup of heavy cream to the liquid remaining in the pan and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the bacon and some chopped parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Step 6: Divide the cooked pasta between plates and pour some of the cider cream over each pile of pasta.
Recipe FAQs
They hang out at the fresh seafood counter at your supermarket, and you are going to be AMAZED at how affordable they are. Four pounds is going to seem like a lot, but I promise it’s the right amount. Pro tip: Don’t close them up in a plastic bag – you want them to be able to stay alive (eek) until you use them. If they open up before cooking, that means they aren’t good for cooking.
You can! The sauce will have a milder (but still delicious!) taste.
Yep! It will have a little less of an apple flavor, but you’ll still taste it!
Pop it in the comments section below and I promise to answer pronto!
STILL have extra cider? (Raises hand!) Well, there’s always apple cider bundt cake, which would make the perfect dessert for this seafood supper!
Want to round out your meal?
This delectable mussels recipe is calling out for some veggie side dishes. We love a side of butternut squash with feta cheese, or some whipped carrots.
And for dessert, we are loving that apple cider bundt cake!
Other easy seafood recipes we love!
We want to know what you think!
If you try this recipe, we would love to hear how it came out for you! I’d be super grateful if you could leave a star rating (you pick how many stars! 🌟 ) and your thoughts in the Comments section.
Mussels in Cider
Mussels are even more amazing when you add bacon and apple cider to the mix. So the next time you are craving a seafood supper, give these creamy mussels in cider a try!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 8 ounces bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 12 ounces angel hair pasta or other long pasta
- 1 cup apple cider or apple juice
- 4 pounds mussels, scrubbed. Toss out any open ones, or ones with cracked shells.
- 1/4 cup brandy
- 1 cup heavy cream
- Fresh ground pepper
- 1/2 cup chopped parsley
Instructions
- Place the bacon in a heavy large skillet and cook until crisp. Scoop it out and drain on paper towels, leaving the drippings in the pan.
- Cook the pasta according to package directions.
- Place cider and mussels in the skillet with the bacon drippings. Cover, bring to a boil and cook until mussels open, about 5 minutes. Toss out any mussels that didn’t open.
- Transfer mussels to a large bowl and cover to keep warm.
- Add brandy and cream to the liquid remaining the pan and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the bacon and the parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Divide the cooked pasta between plates and pour some of the cider cream over each pile of pasta. Divide the mussels among the plates and pour the rest of the cider cream over mussels. Serve at once, putting a bowl on the table for people to toss their shells.
Notes
- Cider: If you are making this outside of apple cider season, regular apple juice will do just fine.
- Bacon: This can be swapped out with leftover chopped ham if you prefer. Simply add in the ham when you stir in the cream and the pasta.
- Pasta: Any long pasta will work for this recipe – we love it with angel hair pasta, but spaghetti and linguine will work too.
Becca says
This dinner felt like fall on the beach – loved it SO much!
Fall on the beach – I love it! :)