Friday nights always bring back memories of my childhood. In my house, it wasn’t just the end of the week—it was pizza and mussels night. My mom would make homemade pizza and a pot of mussels in a fiery red sauce that could burn your tongue off. Yum!

Recently, I decided to recreate those flavors with a little twist. My mom’s dough was delicious, but I wanted to try something new, so I made a semolina pizza crust in my bread machine. It came out amazing—thin, flavorful, and with just the right texture. To complete the memory, I made Mussels Hot in a spicy red sauce, just like Mom’s.

This meal is pure comfort food for me, and I hope it becomes the same for you.

Semolina Pizza Dough Recipe

Ingredients (for 2 thin-crust pizzas):

• ¼ cup warm water
• 1 cup room-temperature water (plus a little more if needed)
• 1 tsp organic cane sugar
• 1 tbsp organic extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tsp sea salt
• 2 cups + 2 tbsp fine organic semolina flour
• 1 cup + 7 tbsp organic all-purpose flour (plus more for dusting)
• 2 ¼ tsp organic instant yeast

Instructions:

1. Add ingredients to your bread machine in the order it requires (mine is liquids first, then sugar, salt, flours, and finally yeast).
2. Start the dough cycle. Check after 5 minutes—if the dough seems dry, add a splash more water until smooth and elastic.
3. Remove dough, place on a floured surface, and roll into a ball. Divide into two pieces, cover with a towel, and let rest for 30 minutes.
4. Place each piece in an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rest until ready to use. (Refrigerate or freeze if not using that day.)

This dough is easy to stretch and makes a perfect thin crust. I used it for a grandma-style Margarita pie.

Margarita Pizza with Semolina Crust

Toppings I Used:

• Pizza sauce (I used a jarred Italian one for convenience)
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Garlic powder & sea salt
• Pecorino Romano
• Ovolini fresh mozzarella, torn apart
• A sprinkle of oregano
• Fresh basil

Baking Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 500°F.
2. Stretch out your dough onto a sheet pan. Brush with olive oil, sprinkle garlic powder and salt.
3. Spread sauce, then layer cheeses, oregano, and basil.
4. Bake for about 10 minutes—keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn. Lift the crust to check doneness. Add a few more minutes if needed.

Mussels in Spicy Red Sauce (Mussels Hot)

Ingredients:

• 4 tbsp organic extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 6 garlic cloves (3 whole, 3 sliced)
• 2 lbs mussels, cleaned and debearded
• ½ cup white wine
• 2–3 big pinches hot red crushed pepper (adjust to taste)
• Sea salt to taste
• 24 oz passata (strained tomatoes)
• 1 pinch organic turbinado sugar
• 2 tbsp fresh Italian parsley, chopped

Instructions:

1. In a large pot, heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add 3 whole garlic cloves and a pinch of red pepper. Cook until garlic starts to brown.
2. Add mussels and a little salt. Cover for 2 minutes. Pour in white wine and parsley. Cook for 7 minutes, until mussels open. Discard any that don’t.
3. In another pot, heat remaining olive oil. Add sliced garlic and another pinch of red pepper. Sauté until garlic is golden.
4. Stir in passata, salt, and sugar. Simmer 5–10 minutes.
5. Strain mussel broth into the sauce, simmer 5 minutes more. Adjust seasoning.
6. Add mussels back in, along with half the parsley. Simmer 5 minutes. Finish with remaining parsley.

Serve with crusty Italian bread—or do what I did and enjoy them alongside a hot, bubbly pizza. This serves 2 as a main meal and can be easily doubled.

In fact, I had leftovers for dinner on Saturday (John wasn’t in the mood for mussels – more for me) and I threw in a half pound of bucatini to make it a satisfying nosh.

A Perfect Friday Night Meal

Between the chewy, flavorful semolina crust pizza and the spicy, garlicky mussels, this meal took me right back to my childhood kitchen. The sauce, the spice, the smells—it was nostalgia on a plate.

If you try this, let me know how it comes out! And don’t forget to tag me if you share it—I’d love to see your pizza and mussels night.

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