Spaghetti with clam sauce. If you can manage to make the basic spaghetti agli’olio, you can make this—it’s not much harder. I originally made this with clams in a can—and if that’s all you have, that’s fine. But it’s of course much better with fresh, whole clams. I made this when you kids were very little, and I don’t think I ever got a clam—you devoured them all before I could even sit down. And boy, wasn’t it fun cleaning you up afterward! I can still clearly picture the white-and-pink bib with the bunny on it, draped with spaghetti. But it was great to see you eat with such gusto! Note that if you order this in a restaurant, you’ll have to verify that the clams are “in bianco” instead of “in rosso” (which is a slightly different dish, made with tomatoes—and not nearly as good, in my opinion). I prefer to make it with small clams, like Manila or little neck or cockles.
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What you need
Olive oil
Butter
Garlic
Anchovy (optional)
Dried oregano, basil, thyme, red pepper (optional)
Clams
White wine
Clam juice
Spaghetti
Cream (optional)
Scallions (optional)
Parsley (optional)
How you make it
- Pour a few tablespoons of olive oil and a few tablespoons of butter into a pan. The butter will combine with the cream later to give the dish a good consistency. It will also help prevent the garlic from burning.
- Chop up one or two garlic cloves and a bit of anchovy and add them to the pan.
- Add a sprinkle of basil, oregano, and thyme if you have it, as well as a bit of salt and pepper.
- Simmer for a minute or two. Add about a half cup of white wine and a half cup of clam juice or fish stock. If you are using canned clams, add the liquid from the can. If you are using fresh clams, you don’t need to add as much (or any) bottled clam juice, as the clams will release their own.
- Bring to a low boil, then reduce the heat a bit. If you’re using fresh clams, add them now and put a lid on the pan. In a minute or so, the clams will start to pop open. As soon as they do, take them out with a pair of tongs to prevent them from overcooking. Keep them all in a bowl and cover it. If any clams don’t open, just toss them in the garbage—you won’t be needing them.
- Add a bit of cream to the pan—not much, just enough to give it some body.
- Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to boil and add the spaghetti. If you’re just cooking for yourself, maybe about a quarter of the package. Check the cooking time on the package, but don’t rely on it. You really need to grab a strand and taste it to see whether its cooked right (careful not to burn your tongue!). Err on the side of undercooked (“al dente”). Pour the pot of spaghetti into a colander and let it drain for just a second or two—don’t let it sit there too long. Pour it into the pan with the heat on and stir it around. Add some chopped scallion if you have it. A dash of crushed red pepper is also nice, and maybe a squeeze of lemon.
- Pour the clams with all their liquid into the pan and stir around some more. (If you are using canned clams, here’s where you add them. They’re precooked, so you just want to heat them up.) Sprinkle some chopped parsley if you have it.
Unlike many sauces, which are largely pasta-agnostic, this dish really needs spaghetti or linguine. Anything else will not work nearly as well.
Buon appetito!
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