Italian-Inspired Mussels in “Marinara” Sauce
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Cuisine: Italian
- 1 lb (450 g) fresh mussels
- 2 Tablespoons (20 g) finely diced onion
- 2 teaspoons (6 g) minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 g) dried basil
- ½ teaspoon (1 g) red pepper flakes
- 2 Tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon (15 g) tomato paste
- ½ cup (120 ml) water
- 3 Tablespoons (45 ml) coconut milk
- ½ teaspoon (3 g) salt (or to taste)
- 1Preheat the air fryer to 350°F (175°C).
- 2Wash the mussels and remove the beard if not already debearded. Fresh mussels are tightly closed, discard the ones that are already open. (NOTE: The “beard” of a mussel is the clump of hair-like fibers that sprout from the shell. Often farm-raised mussels will come debearded. However, if there are some with the hair still on, you can remove the beard easily by grabbing it with your thumb and forefinger and tugging it toward the hinge of the mussel shell or you can also use a knife to gently scrape away the beard.)
- 3Add the diced onion, minced garlic, dried basil, red pepper flakes, and oil in an air fryer-safe container and mix well. Cook for 5 minutes.
- 4Add the mussels, tomato paste, and water and mix well. Cook for 8 minutes. (If needed, cook the mussels in batches so that they fit the container of the air fryer.)
- 5Add the coconut milk and mix well. Cook for an additional 2 minutes. Season with salt, to taste.
- 6Carefully remove the container from the air fryer and enjoy the mussels with the gravy. Can be served with low-carb or keto-friendly bread, zucchini noodles, or cauliflower rice.
(Estimated and based on per-serving amounts.)
- Calories: 294 Fat: 14 g Total Carbs: 11 g Fiber: 1 g Sugar: 1.2 g Net Carbs: 10 g Protein: 29 g