Clams and Pasta
It’s still a little early for steamed clams on the screen porch, but this may be the second-best, and second-easiest, plateful of clams to hold you over. It’s not hard to know why almost every Mediterranean café offers some version of this simple classic. The recipe is intuitive, each chef and cook works personal magic with the ingredients. It’s a restaurant recipe and is usually prepared one portion at a time—but a 10” sauté pan works fine for this two-serving recipe.
• 2 servings of spaghetti, cooked to taste and kept warm (for gluten-free, use well-rinsed rice noodles)—save a little pasta water
• 2 dozen scrubbed clams
• Extra-virgin olive oil, coarsely chopped garlic, chopped parsley, black pepper, chicken broth, white wine and butter
Heat olive oil over medium heat; when hot, add clams, stir frequently with wooden spoon. When clams start to open, add ½ to ¾ cup broth, a good handful of parsley and some pepper; cook ‘til all clams are open. Remove clams and keep warm; add splashes of wine to pan and cook to reduce liquid to about 4-5 tablespoons. Return clams to pan, add a splash of the pasta water and a small knob of butter to finish sauce. Add pasta to pan and toss energetically. Plate and serve with more parsley. And send thanks to those who go down to the sea and bring in the clams—even when it’s still too cold for the screen porch.
The Kitchen Hive
If I had to pick my last meal on the planet -this would be it. With Virginia’s Eastern Shore Clams!
I agree, Donna! There is nothing like Eastern Shore clams prepared in pretty much any style!