I’m sure this happens to everyone: you go out and buy ingredients for a specific recipe, but then are left with “extras” from that recipe. Normally, it’s not a big deal and you can just incorporate it easily into another recipe. But when I went to make Sheet Pan Paella recently, my supermarket was only selling 50 packs of clams. That’s a lot of clams!
To use them up, I decided to make Linguine and Clams, but used what I had on hand to make it work. So, technically, I made spaghetti and clams. And it tasted just as good. 🙂
I love the relative simplicity of this dish. It also reminds me of my grandpa; linguine and clams were his favorite. So I was surprised that I hadn’t posted a recipe for Linguine and Clams on my blog yet. Time to fix that!
I adapted this version of Linguine and Clams from Bon Appetit.
Ingredients:
- 1 heaping tablespoon salt
- 12 garlic cloves, divided
- 4 oz day old bread, cut into smaller pieces (I used half of a sandwich roll)
- 2 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup olive oil
- the zest of one lemon
- 2 teaspoons anchovy paste
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/3 cup dry white wine
- 2 dozen clams, scrubbed
- 1 (16 oz) box linguine (or spaghetti)
- 1/2 cup chopped parsley (I randomly had curly parsley on hand. Flat works too)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Add your clams to a large bowl filled with cold water. Allow to sit for at least 20 minutes. When ready to use, remove one by one (do not pour the bowl into a colander or similar, all the sand will redeposit on the clams), and scrub if needed.
Fill a large pot with water and add a heaping tablespoon of salt. Bring to a boil.
While waiting for the pot to come to a boil, pulse 3 garlic cloves in a food processor until chopped.
Add the bread pieces and pulse several times until crumbs form.
Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to a small pot over medium high heat. Add the breadcrumb mixture and cook, stirring often, until the breadcrumbs turn golden and crisp up, about 5 minutes.
Remove from heat and add the lemon zest, stirring to combine.
Very thinly slice the remaining 9 garlic cloves. (You can use a mandoline or just slice thinly with a knife. I used my OXO grate and slice set.)
In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat 1/4 cup olive oil over medium heat. Add the sliced garlic, stirring often, until slightly golden around the edges, about 3 minutes.
Add the anchovy paste and 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring until the garlic is golden all over.
Stir in the white wine and simmer until the liquid cooks down to a couple of tablespoons.
Add the clams to the Dutch oven and mix to coat. Cover and cook for approximately 7 minutes or until the clams begin to open. Before uncovering after 7 minutes, shake the Dutch oven to help open the clams.
Uncover the Dutch oven and transfer the clams to a large bowl, leaving the liquid in the Dutch oven. Discard any clams that do not open.
When the pot of water is boiling, add the pasta and cook for 7 minutes. Using a ladle or heatproof measuring cup, reserve about 2 cups pasta cooking liquid. Remove the pasta and add to the Dutch oven using tongs. Add in 1 cup of the pasta cooking liquid and bring the Dutch oven mixture to a boil.
Cook, tossing the pasta in the mixture until the pasta is al dente and the sauce is glossy and thick, about 5 minutes. You may need to add more of the pasta cooking liquid a splash at a time as you toss.
Add about 1/3 of the breadcrumb mixture to the pasta mixture tossing to combine.
Remove from heat and add in the butter. Toss until the butter is melted. Add in parsley and toss to combine.
Divide the mixture among bowls and top with the reserved clams and breadcrumbs and more parsley, if desired.
There is a subtle heat from the red pepper flakes that is so comforting.
It’s a really simple recipe with not that many ingredients but it tastes SO good.
I like the addition of the breadcrumbs; they help soak up some of the broth and add a bit of texture.
I’m happy that I was able to use what was left of the clams in such a tasty way!
Ingredients
- 1 heaping tablespoon salt
- 12 garlic cloves, divided
- 4 oz day old bread, cut into smaller pieces (I used half of a sandwich roll)
- 2 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup olive oil
- the zest of one lemon
- 2 teaspoons anchovy paste
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/3 cup dry white wine
- 2 dozen clams, scrubbed
- 1 (16 oz) box linguine (or spaghetti)
- 1/2 cup chopped parsley (I randomly had curly parsley on hand. Flat works too)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Instructions
- Add your clams to a large bowl filled with cold water. Allow to sit for at least 20 minutes. When ready to use, remove one by one (do not pour the bowl into a colander or similar, all the sand will redeposit on the clams), and scrub if needed.
- Fill a large pot with water and add a heaping tablespoon of salt. Bring to a boil.
- While waiting for the pot to come to a boil, pulse 3 garlic cloves in a food processor until chopped.
- Add the bread pieces and pulse several times until crumbs form.
- Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to a small pot over medium high heat. Add the breadcrumb mixture and cook, stirring often, until the breadcrumbs turn golden and crisp up, about 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and add the lemon zest, stirring to combine.
- Very thinly slice the remaining 9 garlic cloves. (You can use a mandoline or just slice thinly with a knife. I used my OXO grate and slice set.)
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat 1/4 cup olive oil over medium heat. Add the sliced garlic, stirring often, until slightly golden around the edges, about 3 minutes.
- Add the anchovy paste and 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring until the garlic is golden all over.
- Stir in the white wine and simmer until the liquid cooks down to a couple of tablespoons.
- Add the clams to the Dutch oven and mix to coat. Cover and cook for approximately 7 minutes or until the clams begin to open. Before uncovering after 7 minutes, shake the Dutch oven to help open the clams.
- Uncover the Dutch oven and transfer the clams to a large bowl, leaving the liquid in the Dutch oven. Discard any clams that do not open.
- When the pot of water is boiling, add the pasta and cook for 7 minutes. Using a ladle or heatproof measuring cup, reserve about 2 cups pasta cooking liquid. Remove the pasta and add to the Dutch oven using tongs. Add in 1 cup of the pasta cooking liquid and bring the Dutch oven mixture to a boil.
- Cook, tossing the pasta in the mixture until the pasta is al dente and the sauce is glossy and thick, about 5 minutes. You may need to add more of the pasta cooking liquid a splash at a time as you toss.
- Add about 1/3 of the breadcrumb mixture to the pasta mixture tossing to combine.
- Remove from heat and add in the butter. Toss until the butter is melted. Add in parsley and toss to combine.
- Divide the mixture among bowls and top with the reserved clams and breadcrumbs and more parsley, if desired.
What do you think?