Mussels in Spicy Tomato Sauce

2 teaspoons olive oil

1/2 onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup dry white wine or reduced-sodium chicken broth

2 plum tomatoes, chopped

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

4 pounds mussels, scrubbed and debearded*

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

4 (1-ounce) slices French or Italian bread, toasted

Heat the oil in a nonstick Dutch oven set over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic; cook stirring occasionally, until golden, about 7 minutes. Add the wine, tomatoes and crushed red pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer about 2 minutes. Add the mussels and simmer, covered, until they open, about 5 minutes. Discard any mussels that do not open. Stir in parsley. Divide the mussels evenly among 4 bowls; ladle the broth over the mussels. Serve with toasted bread.

Per serving (about 30 mussels, 1/4 cup broth and 1 slice of bread): 203 calories, 5 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 45 milligrams of cholesterol, 543 milligrams of sodium, 19 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 20 grams of protein, 97 milligrams of calcium. Points value: 4. (To fit this recipe into the Core Plan, use the chicken broth instead of the wine and omit the toasted bread.)

Serves 4.

*Kitchen Ade note: If you purchase wild rather than farm-raised mussels and the mussels are sandy, soak them in cool water, for about 20-30 minutes, or until they have released their grit. Rinse mussels several times, under cool water, scrub with a stiff brush, then debar.