Clam Pasta With Basil and Hot Pepper
Updated May 16, 2016
Karsten Moran for The New York Times
- Total Time
- About 30 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
FOR THE BASIL PURÉE
1 cup basil leaves
1 cup Italian parsley leaves
3 garlic cloves, smashed to a paste
¼ cup olive oil
Salt and pepper
FOR THE PASTA
1 pound bucatini, spaghetti or linguine
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon crushed fennel seed, optional
½ teaspoon peperoncino (hot red-pepper flakes)
4 pounds small clams, such as little neck or Manila, rinsed of sand
½ cup dry white wine
Basil leaves, for garnish
Lemon wedges
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 to 6 servings)
70 grams carbs; 91 milligrams cholesterol; 708 calories; 12 grams monosaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 20 grams fat; 3 grams fiber; 1830 milligrams sodium; 55 grams protein; 2 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Make the purée: Grind basil and parsley together in a food processor. (Alternatively, hand chop herbs or pound them in a mortar.) Add garlic paste and ¼ cup olive oil and pulse to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Step 2
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a rapid boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions, taking care to keep pasta quite al dente. It’s best to use a timer, and drain pasta as soon as it’s done.
- Step 3
While pasta is cooking, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a heavy-bottomed wide pot with a lid over medium-high heat. Add minced garlic, fennel seed if using and pepperoncino, and let sizzle without browning, about 1 minute. Add clams, stirring to coat with a wooden spoon. Raise heat to high, add wine and put on the lid. Cook, covered, until all clams have opened, 5 to 7 minutes. Turn off heat. (Discard any clams that fail to open.)
- Step 4
Add cooked pasta and basil purée to pot and toss gently to combine. Transfer to a serving bowl. Garnish with basil leaves and lemon wedges.
Private Notes
Comments
A great recipe, but the logistics could be better. Scooping the basil puree into a pot of gaping clams results in clumps of puree getting in some clams and others being left out, with little of it getting on to the pasta. Solution: Stir the puree into the pasta first and then stir the coated pasta into the pot of clams.
One thing nice about this recipe is that it has enough vegetables in it to make a one-dish meal--yet the veggies don't overwhelm the clams.
To make it even easier I used a small jar of Pesto sauce and skipped making the puree.
Drain pasta and reserve 1/2 cup pasta water.
Add the pesto sauce and pasta water to the pasta. Fold in
Then add the clams and wine broth to the pasta and fold in.
I have also made it with a mix of clams and mussels.
The first part is a pesto. If you take 1/4 - 1/2 cup of the pasta water and add it to the pesto, then it will mix more thoroughly with the pasta and will adhere more evenly.
Amazing dish! I added chopped asparagus spears, capers, and topped the pasta with some shredded Parmesan before adding the clams on top. Highly recommend the capers. I will be making this again and again!
This is such a great dish. I love basil but substituted Arugula for the Parsley. Also chopped Peperoncino instead of red pepper flakes since we had a couple of jars in the fridge and we are partial to spicy dishes. All worked really well. You just need to make sure you get the clams from a shop that cleans them really well. A little grit can ruin the dish.
I made this pasta on a tired Thursday night, with no clams and no wine in sight. This recipe elevated a can of tuna to something both delicious and comforting, and a little lemon zest brightened it all up. The basil-parsley blend slid right out of the food processor without a problem. Salud to a humble and successful weeknight recipe!