Ny Times Clam Pasta 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.

LINGUINE WITH CLAM SAUCE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions until 2 minutes short of al dente (it will finish cooking in the sauce). Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain pasta.
• While the pasta cooks, make your sauce: Heat the oil in a deep-sided 12-inch skillet over medium. Add the garlic, red-pepper flakes and oregano and cook until the garlic is pale golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the vermouth and simmer until reduced by half, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the clams with their juices and cook until just warmed through, 1 to 2 minutes more. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
• Add the cooked pasta directly to the skillet along with the butter and lemon zest and toss until the butter has melted and the pasta is glossy with sauce. If needed, add 1/4 cup reserved pasta water. Stir in half the parsley.
• Serve pasta topped with a drizzle of olive oil, if desired, and the remaining parsley. Serve lemon wedges alongside if you like.

SPICY CLAM PASTA WITH BACON, PEAS AND BASIL

Steps:

• Put basil, parsley and garlic in a mortar or food processor. Add salt and pepper to taste and 1/4 cup oil. Pound or whiz to obtain a bright green purée.
• Put a pot of water on to boil and make it very salty. (It will boil faster with the lid on.)
• Over medium heat, render bacon in its own fat until browned and crisp but not hard, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Pour off fat but leave a small amount in the pan, just to coat the bottom.
• Increase heat to medium-high, add 2 tablespoons olive oil, the clams, serrano chile and red pepper. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 2 minutes, stirring and coating clams well. Add peas and warm through, then turn off heat.
• Boil pasta and cook until slightly underdone. Drain pasta and add to pan with clams. Turn heat to medium-high and stir all together. Add a splash of pasta water, if it seems dry. Add basil purée and toss well. Top with bacon and reserved basil leaves. Pass lemon wedges.

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.

SPAGHETTI WITH CLAMS

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, soak clams in cold water.
• Add spaghetti to boiling water, and cook until slightly underdone; pasta will finish cooking in sauce. Meanwhile, place a large saucepan over medium-low heat, and add olive oil, garlic and chili pepper. Sauté gently, reducing heat if necessary so garlic does not brown.
• Add vermouth and clams, and cover. Clams should open in about 2 minutes. (If pasta is ready first, drain it and toss with a small amount of olive oil.) Add hot drained pasta, cover, and shake pot gently. Allow to simmer for another 1 or 2 minutes until it is done to taste.
• Discard any clams that have not opened. Add half the parsley, and shake pan to distribute evenly. Transfer to a plate or bowl, and sprinkle with remaining parsley.

SPICY CLAM CHORIZO PASTA

Steps:

• Rinse and scrub the clams under cold water, making sure they are closed and unbroken. Discard any that aren't closed. Drain well.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large pot or casserole with a lid set over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the chorizo, breaking it into smaller pieces with 2 wooden spatulas or spoons, and fry until it begins to crisp and brown, about 4 minutes. Remove the chorizo with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl.
• Add the 2 remaining tablespoons of olive oil to the rendered chorizo fat and reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, for a couple of minutes until softened. Add the garlic and chile de arbol and cook for a minute, until the garlic is fragrant and the chile de arbol begins to toast. Pour in the beer, add the salt, and once it comes to a simmer, incorporate the drained clams. Let it come to a simmer again, cover with a lid, and cook for 6 to 7 minutes, shaking the pot occasionally to help distribute the clams, until the shells open.
• Remove the lid and, using a slotted spoon, transfer the clams into a bowl, including the clam meat that may have fallen from the shells, and discarding those with closed shells. Raise the heat to medium-high and continue to cook the beer-clam liquid for 6 to 7 minutes, so it strongly simmers and a lot of the alcohol evaporates. Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste and honey. Stir well, reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring once in between.
• Meanwhile, bring salted water to a boil in a large pot. Add the spaghetti and cook until al dente, about 9 to 10 minutes.
• Remove about 3 dozen clams from their shells and discard those shells. Remove the lid from the pot with the sauce and incorporate the cooked chorizo, shelled clam meat and the clams still in their shells. Mix well.
• Strain the spaghetti and add it to the sauce. Toss until it is coated. Transfer to a serving platter or individual bowls. Garnish with the parsley and cilantro, and serve.

LINGUINE WITH CLAM SAUCE

Steps:

• 1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta, following the package instructions, until al dente.
• 2. Meanwhile, warm 1/2 cup of the olive oil in a high-sided saucepan set over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the wine and allow it to cook away slightly, about 1 minute. Add the clams and their juice, and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the broth froths to a level of 1 to 2 inches. Remove from the heat. Stir in the parsley. Drain the pasta and toss in a serving bowl with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Distribute evenly among six dinner plates. Top with equal portions of the sauce, and serve immediately.

NY TIMES CLAM PASTA

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 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.

MISO FISH CHOWDER

Steps:

• In a large Dutch oven, heat oil over medium. Add bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and crisp, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate.
• Add butter, leek and celery to the pot, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3 minutes. Add miso and cook, stirring and mashing with a spoon, until well incorporated and caramelized, 2 to 3 minutes. Add clam juice, potatoes, thyme sprig and 2 cups of water, and bring to a boil over high, stirring to lift up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Cover, reduce heat to medium and cook until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
• Stir in cream and half of the scallions, and bring to a gentle simmer. Season fish with salt and add to pot. Gently poach until it is just cooked through and flaky, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and discard thyme sprig.
• Divide chowder in bowls and garnish with the crispy bacon and remaining scallions. Serve with crusty bread or oyster crackers.