Clam Pasta
User Reviews
4.9
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Prep Time
20 mins
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Cook Time
10 mins
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Soaking time
30 mins
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Total Time
30 mins
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Servings
4
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Calories
634 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Italian
Clam Pasta
Description
This recipe begins by purging clams in salted water to remove grit, repeated if needed, followed by soaking in unsalted water to reduce saltiness. The pasta cooks just shy of full doneness to finish in the sauce. Meanwhile, olive oil gently sautés shallots, garlic, and red pepper flakes before deglazing with dry white wine and clam juice or fish stock. Butter and fresh parsley add richness and herbal notes.
The clams release their juices into the simmered sauce, which incorporates lemon zest and juice for bright acidity that cuts through the buttery, savory flavors. The overall sauce has a light yet flavorful body that highlights the delicate clam meat.
Serve clam pasta immediately to enjoy the fresh seafood taste and tender pasta. It pairs well with simple greens or crusty bread to soak up the sauce. Using quality dry white wine and fresh ingredients elevates the dish.
Choose fresh farm-raised clams from grocery stores and thoroughly purge to ensure no sand remains. Zest lemons before juicing for ease. Bottled clam juice is a handy alternative to fish stock if clam juice is unavailable.
Ingredients
To purge the clams
- 2 lb clams purged (see note 1)
- 6 cups water cold
- 3 tablespoons salt
For the pasta
- 12 oz linguine or spaghetti
- 1 tablespoon salt
For the sauce
- 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 shallot finely chopped
- 5 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- ¼-½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ cup white wine see note 2, dry
- ½ cup clam juice see note 3, or fish stock
- 3 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley finely chopped, fresh
- 3 tablespoons butter unsalted
- 1 teaspoon lemon see note 4, zest
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice (see note 4)
To finish
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- flat-leaf parsley finely chopped, fresh
Instructions
Cleaning the clams
- Dissolve the salt in the water and add the clams. Let them sit for 20 minutes to filter out any grit and sand.3 tablespoons salt6 cups / 1 l cold water2 lb / 900 g clams
- If you find a lot of sand at the bottom of the bowl, you can repeat the process with a new batch of salty water.
- Once the clams have been purged, let them soak in a bowl of cold, unsalted water to remove excess salt.
Cook the pasta
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the salt and the pasta and cook for 1 minute less than the packet suggests.1 tablespoon salt12 oz / 340 g linguine/spaghetti
- Before draining the pasta, reserve a cup of the pasta cooking water.
While the pasta cooks, make the sauce.
- Place a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the extra virgin olive oil and chopped shallots and cook for a minute.5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil2 shallots
- Add the sliced garlic and red pepper flakes, cook for 30 seconds, and then pour the wine.5 cloves garlic¼-½ teaspoon red pepper flakes½ cup / 125 ml dry white wine
- Increase the heat to medium-high and add the clam juice/fish stock, clams, and chopped parsley.½ cup / 125 ml clam juice/fish stock2 lb / 900 g clams3 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley
- Place a lid on the pan and cook for 6 minutes.
- Remove the lid and stir everything together, cook for a further minute without the lid, and then discard any clams that haven't opened.
To finish the dish
- Add the pasta to the clams, along with ¼ cup (60ml) of the reserved pasta cooking water. Toss the pasta with the sauce for 1 to 2 minutes over medium heat until the pasta is cooked to your liking. Most of the sauce will be absorbed into the pasta; you can add extra cooking water if it dries out too much.
- Remove the pan from the heat and add the butter, lemon zest and lemon juice.3 tablespoons unsalted butter1 teaspoon lemon zest2 teaspoons lemon juice
- Taste and salt and pepper to your preference. salt pepper
- Serve immediately with extra parsley. fresh flat-leaf parsley
Notes
- Always zest the lemon before cutting and juicing; zesting a cut lemon is difficult.
- Farm-raised clams in mesh bags are common; purging is recommended to avoid sandy bites.
- Use dry white wine like Soave, Vermentino, or Pinot Grigio, preferably one you would drink rather than cooking wine.
- If avoiding alcohol, increase broth and lemon juice instead.
- Bottled clam juice can be substituted with good-quality fish stock if necessary.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 634 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 634kcal | 32% |
| Carbohydrates | 73g | 24% |
| Protein | 17g | 34% |
| Fat | 28g | 43% |
| Saturated Fat | 8g | 40% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 3g | 18% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 15g | 75% |
| Trans Fat | 0.4g | 20% |
| Cholesterol | 33mg | 11% |
| Sodium | 737mg | 31% |
| Potassium | 137mg | 3% |
| Fiber | 4g | 16% |
| Sugar | 5g | 10% |
| Vitamin A | 708IU | 14% |
| Vitamin C | 9mg | 10% |
| Calcium | 71mg | 7% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
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