Clams With Tomato And Basil Recipes

CLAM PASTA WITH BASIL AND HOT PEPPER

Steps:

• Make the purée: Grind basil and parsley together in a food processor. (Alternatively, hand chop herbs or pound them in a mortar.) Add garlic paste and 1/4 cup olive oil and pulse to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a rapid boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions, taking care to keep pasta quite al dente. It's best to use a timer, and drain pasta as soon as it's done.
• While pasta is cooking, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a heavy-bottomed wide pot with a lid over medium-high heat. Add minced garlic, fennel seed if using and pepperoncino, and let sizzle without browning, about 1 minute. Add clams, stirring to coat with a wooden spoon. Raise heat to high, add wine and put on the lid. Cook, covered, until all clams have opened, 5 to 7 minutes. Turn off heat. (Discard any clams that fail to open.)
• Add cooked pasta and basil purée to pot and toss gently to combine. Transfer to a serving bowl. Garnish with basil leaves and lemon wedges.

STEAMED CLAMS WITH BACON, TOMATO, AND SPINACH

Steps:

• Cook bacon in a 5- to 6-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is golden, about 6 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to break down and sauce thickens slightly, about 8 minutes.
• Increase heat to moderately high, then add clams and bring to a boil, covered. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until clams just open wide, about 6 minutes (discard clams that do not open after 10 minutes). Stir in spinach and cook until wilted, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.

CLAMS WITH TOMATO AND BASIL

Steps:

• In a large and wide heavy casserole or dutch oven, over a medium flame, heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the garlic and cook until golden brown, stirring for approximately 2 minutes. Add crushed red pepper flakes, stir, than add the clams and wine. Place a lid on the pot, turn flame to high, and cook shaking the pot occasionally for approximately 7 minutes or until clams begin to open.
• Pour in tomato sauce, add scallions and basil. Stir well and bring mixture to a boil.
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer clams to a serving platter and discard any unopened shells. Spoon sauce over the clams and serve immediately.

GRILLED CLAMS WITH BASIL BREADCRUMBS

Steps:

• Heat a gas grill or prepare a charcoal grill with hot coals.
• Combine the bread crumbs, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, sun-dried tomatoes, basil, pine nuts, salt and pepper in a large serving bowl and set aside.
• When the grill is hot, place the clams in 1 layer on the hot grate and allow the heat to open the clams. They'll open gradually for about 5 minutes, then pop-open wide when they're done. Using tongs, remove the clams from the grill and place them in the bowl with the bread crumb mixture and toss together. Drizzle with the melted butter, and serve hot.

LINGUINE WITH CLAMS, CHERRY TOMATOES AND BASIL

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large saute pan with a tight-fitting lid over medium-low heat. Add the garlic, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes and saute until fragrant; don't let the garlic brown. Add the cherry tomatoes, white wine and clams, increase the heat to high and cover the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until all the clams have opened, about 8 minutes. As the clams open, transfer them to a large bowl. When all the clams are removed, reduce the heat to medium-low and swirl in the butter. Season with salt and pepper.
• Meanwhile, bring a pot of generously salted water to a boil. Cook the linguine according to the package direction. Using tongs, transfer the linguine to the saute pan with the clam juice and toss to coat. Turn off the heat and add the clams and any juices that have collected in the bowl, the lemon zest and half of the basil. Using tongs, turn the linguine to coat it with the sauce. Top with the remaining basil. Serve immediately.

ITALIAN CLAMS IN TOMATO AND HERB SAUCE

Steps:

• Buy your clams the same day you intend to cook them. This ensures that you will have as few dead clams as possible.
• Store your clams in the fridge in a colander, covered loosely with a damp paper towel.
• Chop the tomatoes in a food processor until they are finely diced (not yet pasty).
• Heat 3 tbsp oil in a saucepan. Add the garlic and red pepper and cook for about a minute.
• Add the tomatoes and sugar to taste (about 1/2 tsp). Simmer for at least 1/2 hour, preferably for a whole hour.
• Preheat the oven to 315 degrees. Slice your bread to 1/2 inch thickness. Spread a little olive oil on each slice. Toast in the oven for 10 minutes.
• If necessary, scrub and de-beard your clams. Any clams that have broken shells must be thrown out. Any shells that are open and will not close when tapped on the counter must be thrown out.
• Food process the onion until it is finely diced.
• Put 3 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet that has a lid. Heat, then add onion and cook about 3 minutes. Do not brown.
• Add the sprigs of parsley and thyme to the pan and cook another 30 seconds, then add the wine. Boil, then simmer 5 minutes.
• Add the clams that did not get thrown out. Cover, turn the heat to high and cook 5-8 minutes, or until the clams have opened. Shake the pan frequently to stir, but do not take off the lid.
• After clams have opened, remove from heat. Throw out any clams that did not open (they were dead before you started cooking).
• Strain the cooking liquid into the tomato sauce. Throw out the sprigs and the onion.
• Place toasted bread in a ring around the outside of the serving bowl. Place the clams in the middle of the bowl and pour the tomato sauce over them.
• Garnish with chopped parsley and thyme.

LINGUINE WITH CLAMS AND TOMATOES

Steps:

• Slice the garlic and chop the fresh thyme. Combine with wine in a pot large enough for all ingredients.
• Scrub clams and add to pot. Bring to a boil and cook until the clam shells open. As they open, remove them from the pot and set aside. Continue cooking broth until it is reduced by half.
• Bring water to a boil for the linguine in a covered pot.
• Wash and trim the tomatoes, and cut in half. Squeeze out the seeds. Chop tomatoes in a food processor or with a knife. When the broth has been reduced, add the fish stock or clam juice and chopped tomatoes, and cook over high heat, continuing to reduce the liquid slightly.
• Cook the linguine according to package directions.
• Remove the clams from their shells, and pour any reserved liquid from them into the pot.
• Wash and dry basil, and cut into thin strips.
• Drain the pasta, and add to the sauce with the clams; stir to blend, and serve topped with basil.

LINGUINE WITH TOMATO-BASIL CLAM SAUCE

Steps:

• In a saucepan of boiling water blanch tomatoes, 2 or 3 at a time, 10 seconds and transfer to a bowl of ice and cold water. Peel, seed, and dice tomatoes.
• In a large heavy kettle steam clams in water, covered, over moderately high heat 5 to 10 minutes, checking after 5 minutes and transferring them as they open to a bowl. (Discard any clams that are unopened after 10 minutes.) Remove kettle from heat, reserving liquid.
• In a 6-quart kettle bring 4 quarts salted water to a boil and cook linguine until al dente. Drain linguine in a colander.
• While linguine is cooking, with a small knife remove meat from the largest 24 clams, discarding shells, and in a food processor pulse just until chopped coarse. Into reserved clam liquid stir chopped clams, tomatoes, garlic, oil, and red pepper flakes and simmer 2 minutes. Add linguine, basil, remaining 12 clams in their shells, and any liquid in bowl and toss well with salt and pepper to taste.