Manila Clam Pasta Recipes

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.

MARK BITTMAN'S PASTA WITH CLAMS

Steps:

• Steam the clams in a covered pot (a glass top is very nice, voyeuristically speaking). You don't need any liquid other than what the clams will release. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it.
• After the clams open - it could take as little as 10 minutes - uncover and cool. Take the meat out and strain and reserve the liquid; make sure to leave any sand behind. Chop the clams if they're big.
• Cook the pasta in the boiling salted water. Put 1/4 cup olive oil in a deep skillet over medium heat. When the oil is warm, add the red pepper flakes and garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Add the clams and continue to cook, stirring, for about a minute. Add about 1/2 cup of the reserved clam liquid.
• Drain the pasta when it's nearly done and stir it into the clams. Cook, stirring, until the pasta is tender and the mixture is saucy. Add more clam-cooking liquid (or hot water or white wine), if necessary. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding a little more oil if you like. Garnish, and serve.

LINGUINE WITH CLAMS

Steps:

• Soak the clams in cool water for about 30 minutes to expel the sand. Gently scrub the shells to remove any debris.
• Bring a large pot of heavily salted water (it should taste like the sea) to a boil. Add the pasta to the water and cook until slightly less than al dente.
• In a large braiser or sauté pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, shallots, anchovies and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring, until the shallots are soft, about 3 minutes.
• Add the clams in a single layer, along with a sprinkle of the parsley and the wine. Cover the pan with a lid and steam, shaking the pan occasionally, until the clams open up, 4 to 5 minutes. Discard any clams that remain closed. Transfer the clams to a bowl and set aside.
• Strain or transfer the pasta and add it directly to the pan with the clam sauce along with a drizzle of olive oil, tossing to combine. Let the pasta finish cooking with the sauce until the sauce thickens, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Add the remaining parsley to the pan and toss, then top with the clams and another drizzle of oil. Serve.

LINGUINE WITH MANILA CLAMS AND SPICY CHORIZO SAUSAGE

Steps:

• When using fresh tomatoes they must be peeled first. Dip them briefly in boiling water to loosen the skins. Peel, cut in half, remove and discard the seeds. Dice the tomatoes and have ready beside the stove. Bring the water to a boil in a large pot and season with salt while you prepare the sauce. The pasta will cook in 10 minutes and the sauce will take 15 minutes to cook entirely.
• Drain the anchovy fillets, rinse off the excess salt under cold water, pat dry, and chop roughly. Heat the olive oil in a sauce pan over medium heat. When hot, add the chopped anchovy fillets and saute over medium heat until the anchovies actually begin to dissolve and melt away. Add the rings of sausage and saute briefly before adding the clams in their shells. Add the garlic to the pan and before the garlic begins to brown, add the diced tomato, salt and pepper and cook for 5 to 8 minutes, before adding the white wine. Place a lid on the pan and cook until the clams steam open.
• When the water is boiling, cook the pasta according to package directions, timing it so the pasta will be completed at about the same time as the sauce. Just before you drain the pasta, add the basil to the sauce and continue cooking for just a minute longer. Remove the sauce from the heat and toss in a bowl with the drained pasta.

MANILA CLAMS WITH SOFRITO AND SHERRY

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large saute pan. Add bacon, and fry until almost crisp. Add peppers, onion, salt and pepper. Strip thyme leaves from stems, and add. Cover, and cook over medium-low heat until peppers are tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer to food processor, and pulse until coarsely pureed.
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in saute pan. Add sliced garlic, and saute until it starts to brown. Add clams, and cook, stirring, one minute. Stir in sherry. Add clam juice and pepper mixture, and cook, stirring, until clams have opened, about 5 minutes. Stir in remaining olive oil and vinegar, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with cilantro.
• Rub bread with remaining garlic, and serve alongside.

MANILA CLAM PASTA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot with salted water to a boil.
• Put the garlic and the oil in a large pan on low flame, letting the garlic get golden brown. Put the chili in the oil, and a handful of chopped parsley.
• Bring the flame to max and add the vongole to the pan. Cover with a large lid and lower the flame. At this point the water should be boiling. Throw the pasta in the water and cook to "al dente". Let the vongole go for less than 10 minutes, the time it takes for them to open and for the pasta to cook. When ready, throw the pasta in the pan and sprinkle with the remaining parsley. Toss the pasta and serve warm.