It’s that time of year again! The pumpkins are piling up, there are stacks of hay bales and dried corn, and I am drawn like a moth to a flame to all the cheery autumn farm markets.
And inevitably they are giving out cups of sweet warm apple cider. And so inevitably I leave with multiple containers of apple cider.
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. Add a little cream and brandy and pasta and BACON to the party, and OH MY GOODNESS.
Ingredients you need for this autumn seafood supper!
here’s how to make this apple cider deliciousness!
(Scroll down for the complete handy printable recipe with nutrition info!)
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 12 ounces of angel hair pasta according to package directions.
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.
STEP 5: Transfer mussels to a large bowl and cover to keep warm.
STEP 6: Add a quarter cup of brandy and a cup of heavy cream to the liquid remaining the pan and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the bacon and some chopped parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper.
STEP 7 (Optional!) If you want to go straight to heaven, be the nicest person in the world and take the mussels out of the shells. Otherwise you can serve them in the shell like I mostly do!
STEP 8: Divide the cooked pasta between plates and pour some of the cider cream over each pile of pasta.
STEP 9: 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.
More tips for making this delectable Mussels supper!
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!
But first you have to finish your dinner…which with these apple cider mussels over a bed of pasta and bits and pieces of bacon here and there should not be a problem!
Now I just have to find a place for 453,823 pumpkins that I purchased….
Like the looks of this recipe? Pin it now to make it later!
OTHER MUSSELS RECIPES WE LOVE!
 Use your roasting pan for making oven steamed mussels with white wine and bacon in this fast and easy recipe! |
 This easy recipe for mussels in blue cheese sauce is packed with all kinds of flavor, and ready in a snap! The perfect seafood supper. |
 Mussels are up there among my very favorite kinds of shellfish, and this recipe for mussels with shallot cream sauce is one of the reasons why. |
Creamy Apple Cider Mussels
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 apple cider mussels 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
- 1 cup apple cider
- 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.
Equipment We Used to Make This Recipe
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Notes
Need to add something to your kitchen equipment to make this recipe? Below are some of the items we used in the Framed Cooks kitchen to help cook this up. These are affiliate links to things we use and love, which helps to pay for all that bacon I keep buying (without any extra cost to you)! Thanks for using them to keep our kitchen cooking…xoxo!
Keywords: apple cider mussels, easy mussels recipe, how to cook mussels, gluten free mussels recipe
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