SIMPLE & IMPRESSIVE SHRIMP AND MUSSELS IN A RICH RED CURRY COCONUT SAUCE

Jump to Recipe

Shrimp and mussels cooked in an easy, flavor-packed red curry coconut sauce. Served over a bed of pasta and topped with fresh basil and cilantro. This dish pairs perfectly with a slice of warm, buttery sourdough bread. It all comes together quickly in one pan and the flavor and presentation are sure to exceed your expectations.

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS SIMPLE & IMPRESSIVE SHRIMP AND MUSSELS IN A RICH RED CURRY COCONUT SAUCE

This recipe has all the components I look for in a recipe – it’s quick, it’s packed with flavor and will only look like you spent hours in the kitchen! If you’re like me, you like to prep as much of a meal in advance as you can. With this recipe, you can easily slice your limes and chop your shallots, garlic, ginger, basil and cilantro in advance and store covered in the fridge until you’re ready to start cooking.

RECIPE HIGHLIGHTS

• Elegant Crowd Pleaser
• Quick and Easy Weeknight Meal
• Rich and Flavorful

INGREDIENT NOTES

See the full recipe card below with exact ingredient amounts and substitutions.

INGREDIENTS

• Olive Oil
• Garlic
• Shallot
• Fresh Ginger
• Thai Red Curry Paste
• Coconut Milk, unsweetened
• Limes
• Salt
• Shrimp
• Mussels
• Basil
• Cilantro
• Fettuccine or pasta of choice(optional)

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

1. Using a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat.
2. Add chopped shallots and garlic to your skillet and sauté until soft and fragrant.
3. Add grated ginger, red pepper flakes and curry paste. Add a little more (or a lot more!) red pepper flakes if you like the heat. Stir to combine.
4. Pan fry for about 30 seconds. Add coconut milk, lime juice and salt. Bring to a gentle boil.
5. Slowly add shrimp to the sauce. Stir and let simmer on medium heat until shrimp just start to turn pink. If you let them cook too long they will become tough. You’re aiming for tender shrimp.
6. Add mussels and cover skillet with lid. Let cook over medium heat for about 4-5 minutes. Shake your skillet a couple of times (with the lid on) to ensure even cooking. Starting to feel like a fancy chef yet?
7. While the shrimp and mussels are cooking, cook your pasta in a separate pot according to box directions.
8. After about 4-5 minutes, slide the skillet with shrimp and mussels off of the heat and remove the lid. Discard any mussels that did not pop open, because these could be unsafe to eat.
9. Serve straight out of your skillet or transfer to a large serving dish and top with a shower of chopped fresh basil and cilantro.
10. I highly recommend serving the shrimp and mussels over a bed of pasta with a side of crusty sourdough bread (to sop up that delicious red curry sauce), but it can certainly be enjoyed all on its own as well!

RECIPE NOTES

• This is a versatile recipe. If you’re not a huge fan of mussels, double the shrimp and eliminate the mussels. Or, go for all mussels and no shrimp.
• Chicken is a great alternative as well. Shred up a Costco rotisserie chicken (only white meat for me, but dark would be fine too) and toss it into the red curry coconut sauce. Give it a stir and spoon over pasta, top with basil and cilantro. An excellent meal for busy weeknights.

SPECIAL TOOLS

• Large Skillet
• Pasta Pot like this one
• Microplane for grating ginger