We are lucky to live in a place where we can go out and dig up fresh clams all summer long. Finding different ways to use them is the challenge. We turn them into clams casino, grilled clams, baked clams, steamed clams and so on. The two traditional main courses we serve at Sunday dinners are Zuppa di Clams (red sauce based) and Linguini with Clam Sauce. In this version, I made a topping which is optional. This can be a very simple quick meal if you just use the basics. We usually serve this with a grilled cheese and parsley sausage round from our local Italian pork store, a salad, and a lot of crusty bread. For 10 people we use about two dozen clams. Of course now that the kids are such big seafood fans, we find them battling over unclaimed clams. If you are not familiar with cooking clams, you should know they should always be throughly scrubbed and then soaked in clean water for at least 30 minutes to minimize grit and sand in the final dish.
Ingredients:
4 pieces of thick cut bacon, diced
1 shallot, minced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup white wine
1 dozen fresh clams, scrubbed and soaked
1/2 lb of linguini fini
Kosher salt
Topping:
1/4 cup of parsley, minced
3 scallions sliced
2 tbsp butter or olive oil
1 clove or garlic, minced
1/2 cup of panko
1/4 cup of parmesan
Put on a large pot of water to boil for the pasta. Make sure to salt the water just before you add the pasta. Cook the bacon in a dutch oven over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from the pot and drain on a paper towel. Leave about a tbsp of bacon fat in the pan and add in shallot and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add in garlic and and red pepper flakes and cook stirring for 1 minute more. Add in the white wine and bring to a boil. Add the pasta to the pot of water. Add the clams to the white wine mixture, reduce the heat to medium low, cover and cook until the clams have all opened. Check and stir after 7 minutes. If any clams have not opened when the majority are open, discard them. Meanwhile, in a separate pan, melt the butter (or heat the olive oil) over medium heat. Add in the garlic and cook, stirring for 30 seconds. Add in the panko and continue to stir until golden brown. Remove from the heat and stir in the parmesan cheese and reserved bacon.
To serve, add the cooked, drained pasta to a large bowl, pile the clams on top and then pour the sauce the clams created over the top slowly, leaving the dregs that can contain grit in the pot. Sprinkle the the chopped parsley and scallions over the top and either add the panko topping or serve on the side for people to add as they serve themselves.
4 pieces of thick cut bacon, diced
1 shallot, minced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup white wine
1 dozen fresh clams, scrubbed and soaked
1/2 lb of linguini fini
Kosher salt
Topping:
1/4 cup of parsley, minced
3 scallions sliced
2 tbsp butter or olive oil
1 clove or garlic, minced
1/2 cup of panko
1/4 cup of parmesan
Put on a large pot of water to boil for the pasta. Make sure to salt the water just before you add the pasta. Cook the bacon in a dutch oven over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from the pot and drain on a paper towel. Leave about a tbsp of bacon fat in the pan and add in shallot and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add in garlic and and red pepper flakes and cook stirring for 1 minute more. Add in the white wine and bring to a boil. Add the pasta to the pot of water. Add the clams to the white wine mixture, reduce the heat to medium low, cover and cook until the clams have all opened. Check and stir after 7 minutes. If any clams have not opened when the majority are open, discard them. Meanwhile, in a separate pan, melt the butter (or heat the olive oil) over medium heat. Add in the garlic and cook, stirring for 30 seconds. Add in the panko and continue to stir until golden brown. Remove from the heat and stir in the parmesan cheese and reserved bacon.
To serve, add the cooked, drained pasta to a large bowl, pile the clams on top and then pour the sauce the clams created over the top slowly, leaving the dregs that can contain grit in the pot. Sprinkle the the chopped parsley and scallions over the top and either add the panko topping or serve on the side for people to add as they serve themselves.
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