Clam Pasta Recipe Italian Recipe Cards

CLAM PASTA

Steps:

• As soon as you purchase the clams, you must de-grit them following my tutorial. Start this process 1 hour prior to cooking.
• Gather all the ingredients.

SPAGHETTI WITH CLAMS

Steps:

• In a large pot, bring to a boil 6 quarts of salted water. Add pasta, stirring constantly in the beginning to prevent it from sticking together. Cook until al dente, about 8 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large saute pan. When almost smoking, add shallots and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes, being careful not to burn the garlic. Add the clams and wine. Cover and simmer for 6 to 8 minutes or until most clams have opened.
• Add 2 tablespoons chopped parsley. Whisk in butter to thicken sauce slightly.
• Drain pasta in a colander. Do not rinse pasta with water - this will remove the pasta's natural starches. Place pasta into the clam saute pan and mix thoroughly. Check seasoning.
• Pour pasta into large serving bowl. Zest lemon over the dish, being carefull not to zest the white part of the lemon, which is bitter. Garnish with remaining parsley. Serve immediately.

RED CLAM SAUCE

Steps:

• In a small skillet, saute onion in oil until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer., Transfer to a 1-1/2- or 2-qt. slow cooker. Stir in the clams, tomatoes, tomato paste, parsley, bay leaf, sugar, basil and thyme., Cover and cook on low until heated through, 3-4 hours. Discard bay leaf. If desired, sprinkle with additional parsley. Serve with linguine. Freeze option: Omit additional parsley. Cool before placing in a freezer container. Cover and freeze for up to 3 months. To use, thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Place in a large saucepan; heat through, stirring occasionally. Serve with linguine and, if desired, minced parsley.

FRESH PASTA WITH CLAMS AND HOT ITALIAN SAUSAGE

Steps:

• For the dough:
• Combine 1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour and 1/4 cup semolina flour in a large bowl. Add oil and 1/4 cup warm water and mix with a fork until a stiff dough forms. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, 8-10 minutes. Wrap tightly in plastic; let sit at room temperature 1 hour.
• Cut dough in half. Working with a piece at a time and keeping remaining dough wrapped in plastic, roll dough into a 9x3/4" log. Cut on a diagonal into 1/2" pieces; dust with all-purpose flour.
• Working with 1 piece of dough at a time, roll out between your palms to make about 3" strands that taper at the ends. Dust pasta with semolina flour and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover with a kitchen towel until ready to use.
• For the assembly:
• Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high. Add sausage and cook, breaking into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, about 1 minute. Add clams and wine; cover. Cook, shaking skillet occasionally, until clams open, about 5 minutes; discard any that do not open.
• Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 3 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking liquid.
• Add butter, parsley, pasta, and 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid to clams. Cook, tossing and adding more cooking liquid as needed, until sauce coats pasta, about 3 minutes. Taste and season with salt.

PASTA WITH CLAMS AND TOMATOES

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Meanwhile, put 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large, deep skillet that can later be covered and turn the heat to high. A minute later, add the clams, reduce the heat to medium-high, give the pan a shake, and cover. Continue to cook the clams, shaking the pan occasionally, until they begin to open, as little as 5 minutes later. Add the garlic and cook until most of the clams are open.
• Meanwhile, cook the pasta. When it is nearly tender, remove a cup of its cooking water and drain. When the clams are ready, add the pasta and the tomatoes to the skillet and cook, tossing frequently, until the pasta is tender and hot; add some of the pasta-cooking water if the mixture is too dry.
• Add the remaining olive oil and taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary; garnish with the parsley and serve.
• Variation
• White Pasta with Clams: Omit the tomatoes and substitute about 3/4 cup dry white wine, adding it to the clams about a minute before the pasta.

CLAMS ITALIANO

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook garlic in butter briefly. Stir in wine, and season with oregano, parsley, and red pepper flakes.
• Place clams in the wine mixture. Cover, and steam until all the clams have opened: discard any that do not open. Serve in soup bowls, and ladle broth generously over them.

CLAM LINGUINE

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine olive oil, butter, garlic, tomatoes and parsley; simmer and let reduce. Add some clam juice if the sauce reduces too much.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 3 minutes or until al dente; drain.
• Add clams to the skillet and heat through; top with cheese and serve immediately.

CLAM AND PASTA SOUP.

Steps:

• Heat oil in large saucepan. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently until soft.
• Add garlic, tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, seasoning, stock, wine, and salt and pepper to taste and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, half cover the pan, and simmer for 10 minutes, sstirring occasionally.
• Add the pasta and continue simmering, uncovered, for about 10 minutes, or until al dente, stirring occasionally to prevent the pasta from sticking together.
• Add the clams and their juice to the soup and heat through for 3 to 4 minutes, ading more stock if required. Do not allow it to boil or the clams will become tough. Remove from the heat, stir in the chopped parsley and adjust the seasoning. Serve hot, sprinkled with pepper and parsley leaves.