Adding tomato and cannellini beans to mussels is a simple yet rewarding culinary experience — full of colour, flavour, and texture.
And when in New Zealand, eating green-lipped mussels is an absolute must. These mussels are impressively large and meaty, quite different from the smaller black varieties common in Australia and Europe.
when I was in New Zealand, I first cooked mussels while staying with friends on Waiheke Island, a beautiful spot in the Hauraki Gulf, about 17 kilometres from Auckland in New Zealand’s North Island.
WAIHEKE KITCHEN
I picked up a fresh batch from the local fish shop and made a classic Cozze in Brodetto — mussels cooked with extra virgin olive oil, white wine, parsley, and plenty of garlic.
GREEN LIPPED MUSSELS, TOMATOES AND CANNELLINI
A few days later, visiting friends in Queenstown in the South Island, I found another great fish shop in Dunedin and couldn’t resist buying more green lipped mussels. This time, I decided to cook the mussels with tomatoes and cannellini beans — and that’s the recipe I’m sharing here. On this occasion, I used tinned beans, which worked perfectly.If you can’t get green-lipped mussels, black mussels will work beautifully.
There were four of us around the table — the kind of night that called for something simple yet special. I love dishes that bring everyone together, and this one did just that: fresh mussels, creamy cannellini beans, and a rich tomato salsa that ties it all together beautifully.I
INGREDIENTS, SERVES 4
Mussels: 2.5 kg, cleaned and de-bearded
Dry white wine: ½ cup
Parsley: ½ cup, finely chopped
Cannellini beans: 2 × 400g tins, cooked and drained
Tomato salsa: 800g tinned red tomatoes, 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped, ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, fresh basil leaves or 1 tsp dried oregano, salt, to taste
Make the Tomato Salsa
In a saucepan, combine the tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, and your choice of herbs. Add a pinch of salt and cook uncovered over medium heat for 10–15 minutes, until the sauce thickens and reduces to about 2 cups.
Cook the Mussels
In a large, wide saucepan, add the mussels, white wine, and parsley.Cover and steam over high heat, removing the mussels as they open. Cook the ones that remain closed and they will open.
Once all are cooked, reduce the remaining cooking liquid to about 1 cup. This concentrated broth is briny and full of flavor — no extra salt needed!
Bring It All Together:
Stir the reduced mussel liquid into the tomato salsa.
Add the cannellini beans and simmer gently until heated through.
Finally, add the mussels and toss everything together to coat them in the sauce.
Serve immediately, ideally with some crusty bread to soak up every drop of that incredible broth.
otes from the TableThe sweetness of the mussels and the creamy beans make a lovely contrast, while the tomato salsa adds freshness and depth. It’s a dish that feels both rustic and elegant — and one that tastes even better shared.
QUEENSTOWN KITCHEN:
You can see that I like mussels quite a bit. For other mussel recipes see:COZZE IN BRODETTO (mussels in a little broth)
COZZE CON SAMBUCA (Mussels with Sambuca- anice flavoured liqueur)
ZUPPA DI COZZE SGUSCIATE (A thick soup made with mussel meat)
