Dateline: July 1, 2020 Pasta with Clams

I have been recycling recipes lately, that is why there has not been a new post in over a week.  There is only so many times you can look at, read, etc the same basic recipe.  So I choose to not bore you!

Tonight, I decided I wanted seafood, and I wanted pasta.  Perfect, pasta with clams.  I did a mash up of Nigella Lawson and Mark Bittman's recipes.  I put my own twist on it by adding some clam juice that I had in the freezer as well as vermouth and white wine.

Pasta with Clams

2 lbs fresh cockles or small clams

2 cloves of garlic, thinly slivered

1/2 t red chili flakes

1 T chopped garlic scapes

1/2 box whole grain thin spaghetti

2/3 c Noilly Prat dry vermouth

1.5 c clam juice

1 c dry white wine

olive oil

1 c fresh English Peas

1 T chopped parsley stems

2 T chopped parsley

Method

1.  Choose a pan with a tight fitting lid that can also hold the pasta lying down in it.  You will be cooking the pasta in the pan with the steaming liquid from the clams.

2.  Scrub clams and discard any that will not shut when tapped.  Hold the clams to the side until pan is ready.

3.  Film the bottom of the pan with a generous amount of olive oil to taste.  Add chili flakes, garlic slivers, garlic scapes and parsley stems.  When garlic is fragrant, but not brown, add clam juice, Noilly Prat, and bring to a boil.  

4.  Add clams  in a single layer and cover pan tightly.  Set timer for 2 minutes.  After 2 minutes the clams should all have opened.  Remove clams to a bowl and hold to the side.  Any clams that do not open, after another minute of cooking, discard.

after the clam steam bath

                                                    

5.  Remove clams from shells and reserve with any juices that have accumulated in the bowl.

6.  Into the pan that held the clams, add the white wine and bring to a boil.  Add the pasta and swish it around in the pan to get it all under the juices.  Cover the pan and set timer for 2 minutes.  Peek into the pan and add more wine if pasta is sticking to the bottom of the pan.

7.  Stir the pasta around and scrape up any of it that has stuck to the bottom of the pan.  Add back in the clams and also the peas.  Stir well and get any pasta unclumped that may be sticking together.  Cook for another minute to 90 seconds.

Add water or more wine, if necessary.  Add the parsley and mix well.  The pasta will give off quite a bit of starch which will thicken up the sauce nicely.  You should not need any salt or pepper in the dish, but this is where you would add it if you needed to.

8.  Serve immediately.