#WeekDaySupper Linguine with Clam Sauce

I am a big fan of Meatless Monday.  One day a week we eat vegetarian.  It’s a great way to eat a little healthier and it makes you get creative in the kitchen.  I definitely have a lot more vegetarian entrees in my dinner rotation now than I did before I started doing this!

My Long Islander husband loves seafood, so sometimes I’ll feature fish or shellfish on Mondays.  He has turned me onto clams over the years, so now I’ve started making them at home.  This Linguine with Clam Sauce recipe is to die for.  I bought fresh pasta from the farmer’s market (the best!) and served it with a French baguette.  We, literally, sopped up every last drop of sauce in our bowls!

Heaven in a Bowl

Ingredients

•  Two dozen littleneck clams
• 6 Tbs. evoo
• 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/3 cup dry white wine
• 5 Tbs. finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 5 large cloves garlic, minced
• Kosher salt
• 8 oz. fresh linguine
• Freshly ground black pepper

Scrub the clams under cold water and set aside. In a heavy 3-qt. saucepan, heat 3 Tbs. of the oil over medium heat. Add the pepper flakes and cook briefly to infuse the oil, about 20 seconds. Immediately add the wine, 2 Tbs. of the chopped parsley, and half of the garlic. Cook for 20 seconds and add the clams.

Cover and cook over medium-high heat, checking every 2 minutes and removing each clam as it opens. It will take 5 to 6 minutes total for all the clams to open. Transfer the clams to a cutting board and reserve the broth. Remove the clams from the shells and cut them in half, or quarters if they’re large. Return the clams to the broth. Discard the shells.  (If the shells are large, I like to save them to use for Baked Clams.)

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until it’s almost al dente, about two minutes (for fresh pasta).  Follow directions on the box if you are using dried.

While the pasta is cooking, heat the remaining olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the remaining  parsley and the rest of the garlic and cook until the garlic is just soft, about 1 minute. Set the skillet aside.

When the pasta is done, reserve about 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water and then drain the pasta. Add the pasta, the clams, and the broth the clams were cooked in to the skillet. Return to low heat, toss the pasta in the sauce, and simmer for another minute to finish cooking it, adding a little of the pasta water if you prefer a “saucier” dish.

Taste for salt and add pepper. Serve immediately, with French bread and garnish with the parsley.

Be sure to get more great #WeekDaySupper ideas from my fellow foodies later this week!

08/27/13 – Tuesday – Cookin’ Mimi – Barbecue Jack Chicken

08/28/13 – Wednesday – Noshing With The Nolands – Lentils Ole

08/29/13 – Thursday – Basic N Delicious – Spaghetti with Mushroom Sauce

08/30/13 – Friday – Granny’s Down Home Sassy Southern Cooking – Sassy Sausage Jambalaya