Quick Clam Spaghetti Recipes

SPAGHETTI VONGOLE

Steps:

• Put a pan of water on to boil. While that's happening, sort through your cleaned clams and if there are any that aren't tightly closed, give them a sharp tap. If they don't close, throw them away. Put a large pan with a lid on a high heat and let it heat up. Finely slice the parsley stalks, then put them to one side and roughly chop the leaves. Peel and chop the garlic, quarter the tomatoes and get your wine ready.
• Add the pasta to the boiling water with a good pinch of salt and cook according to packet instructions until al dente. About 5 minutes before your pasta is ready, get ready to start cooking - you'll have to be quick about this, so no mucking about! Put 4 generous lugs of extra virgin olive oil into the hot pan and add the garlic, parsley stalks and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Crumble in the dried chilli and add the chopped tomatoes. Stir everything around constantly and just as the garlic starts to colour, tip in the clams and pour in the wine. It will splutter and steam, so give everything a good shake and put the lid on the pan. After about 3 or 4 minutes the clams will start to open, so keep shuffling the pan around until all of them have opened. Take the pan off the heat. Get rid of any clams that haven't opened.
• By now your pasta should be just about perfect. Drain and add to the pan of clams along with the parsley leaves and an extra drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Stir or toss for a further minute or two to let the beautiful seashore juices from the clams be absorbed into the pasta. Serve right away. No sane Italian would eat this dish without some fresh hunks of bread to mop up the juices. Beautiful!
• PS The first time you make this it will be good, but you might find things don't come together exactly at the right time. But don't worry, this dish is all about confidence and the more you make this, the more you'll find the pasta and clams are ready and perfect at the same time. And then it will be great!

QUICK CLAM SAUCE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, lightly brown garlic in olive oil. Stir in parsley, clams with juice, crushed tomatoes, salt and pepper to taste.
• Simmer for 45 minutes. Serve over cooked pasta.

QUICK CLAM SPAGHETTI

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add spaghetti, cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until al dente, and drain.
• Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat, and saute the garlic 1 minute, until tender. Mix in the clams and juice. Cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced to about 1/2 cup.
• In a large bowl, toss the spaghetti with the sauteed clams, chopped parsley, and Parmesan cheese. Garnish with parsley sprigs to serve.

QUICK AND EASY CLAM SAUCE FOR PASTA

Steps:

• Saute onion and garlic in butter.
• Blend in flour.
• Drain clams and reserve juices. Add minced clams and milk to the onion and garlic.
• Simmer 10 minutes, season with salt and pepper to taste.
• If you desire a thicker sauce, make a slurry of cornstarch and milk.
• Add a little at a time to the sauce, stirring, until the desired thickness. Use the reserved clam juices to thin the sauce if need be.
• Meanwhile, cook pasta al dente in boiling salted water.
• Serve sauce over pasta.
• Top with parsley.
• Pass grated Parmesan.

CANNED CLAM PASTA

Steps:

• In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. Reserve about 3 tablespoons of the cooking water.
• Heat oil in a large deep skillet over medium heat. Cook shallots and garlic just until translucent and soft for 1-2 minutes. Keep stirring and careful not to burn the garlic.
• Add clam juice, chicken broth, and white wine. Cook until the sauce on medium-high heat until the sauce is reduced, enough to fully submerge the cooked pasta. Season with salt, black pepper, or chili pepper flakes if needed.
• Add butter, basil, clam meat, pasta, and pasta water to the skillet. Stir just until the clam is warm throughout. Turn off the heat immediately so you don't overcook the clam meat. Serve with chopped parsley.

SPAGHETTI WITH CANNED CLAMS

Steps:

• Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs, granulated garlic and a pinch of salt and pepper. Toast the breadcrumbs, stirring occasionally, until lightly golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Set aside.
• Fill a large pot with water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and season generously with salt. Add the spaghetti and cook to al dente, 6 to 8 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a large saute pan or skillet, add the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil along with the garlic and red pepper flakes. Turn the heat on low and let cook until fragrant, for a few minutes. Stir in the wine and cook another 1 to 2 minutes. Add the clams, then turn up the heat to medium and bring to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper. Use tongs to take the pasta out of the water directly into the pan (this works best when the pasta is a couple minutes away from being done; you want it really al dente so it finishes cooking in the sauce). Use tongs to toss. If dry, add a little pasta water. Add the parsley. Toss until coated in the sauce and the pasta is tender. Serve with the toasted breadcrumbs sprinkled on top.

ONE-POT CLAM SPAGHETTI

Steps:

• Place the spaghetti, clams with their juices, olive oil, oregano leaves, crushed red pepper, garlic, onion and a good pinch of salt in a large high-sided skillet. Add 4 1/2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring and turning the pasta frequently with tongs, until the spaghetti is al dente and most of the liquid has evaporated and thickened, 9 to 10 minutes.
• Remove the pan from the heat and fold in the spinach, Parmesan and butter. Toss to make sure everything is well coated and combined. Season to taste with black pepper and more salt if needed. Serve, garnished with more oregano leaves and crushed red pepper flakes.