Parmesan Marinara-Tahini Baked Mussels

These parmesan marinara-tahini baked mussels make a terrific, easy first course for a celebration dinner, especially a romantic dinner for two on Valentine’s Day.

Have This!

• Two dozen large mussels
• A cup Marinara Sauce
• One-third cup butter melted
• Three cloves minced garlic
• Two cups crusty breadcrumbs
• One tsp chopped fresh thyme
• Pinch coarsely ground black pepper
• One-third cup Parmesan cheese finely grated
• One cup tahini

Do This!

• Wash the mussels and pull off any beards that may still be attached to the shell. A pair of needle-nose pliers works well for this.
• Discard any mussels with cracked or broken shells and those that do not remain closed after a minute when you pinch them together. Also, discard the one that do not open during the cooking time.
• Bring one inch of water to a boil in a large covered pot. Add it, cover the pot and let them steam for only three minutes to open the shells.
• Remove the top shell and loosen the mussels from the half of the shells that they are attached to before laying them in a baking dish.
• Spoon about a teaspoonful of marinara sauce and tahini over each in their shells.
• Over medium heat melt the butter in a small saucepan and add the garlic. Cook for just a minute to soften it.
• Add the bread crumbs, chopped thyme, and black pepper. Stir to combine well, then toss in the Parmesan cheese.
• Spoon the crumbs evenly over the marinara sauce covered mussels. Press the crumbs down gently and bake at 375 degrees F for 15 minutes. Serve immediately.