Linguine with clam sauce
Since I’ve returned to work and the kids have returned to school and homework we’ve been a bit busier around here. I’ve been thinking about how difficult it is to come up with quick, easy, week night dinners that are healthy, homemade, and appealing to the boys and us. It’s a tough task. It’s not that the boys are particularly picky…they’re pretty adventurous eaters but they each have their list of items they won’t eat. I’ll spare you the details but let it be said that I was thrilled to have the weather turn a bit cooler and more autumnal this week. It gave me the perfect excuse to whip up a batch of my red and black chili. Both boys love it, they could eat it happily every day, it’s nutritious, tasty, and homemade…so they’re taken care of for a few days and that means I can make food they won’t like but that we adore.
For a quick dinner you can’t beat pasta…especially with a simple sauce like clams, garlic, white wine, and a few diced romas that were laying around. Of the straight, dried pastas, linguine is my favorite. It has the perfect heft for light, clingy, sauces like this and it cooks in about seven minutes…the perfect amount of time for the sauce to come together.
Here’s the recipe, if you can call it that. It was inspired by a reader named Penny who reminded me how easy this classic dish is. Thanks Penny.
Linguine with clam sauce
1 can of chopped clams, including the juice
4 to 6 cloves garlic, chopped fine
1 or 2 fresh roma tomatoes, diced
red pepper flakes
white wine
butter
parsley, chopped
salt, pepper, olive oil
1 pound of dry linguine
Put a pot of water on to boil…I usually use an 8 quart pot with 5 or 6 quarts of water in it and at least a tablespoon of sea salt.
While the water is coming to a boil, open the clams, chop the garlic, tomatoes, and parsley. Gather the wine, butter, pepper flakes and salt and pepper and a medium sized sauté pan.
Once the water boils add the linguine. Bring the water back to a boil and set the timer for 7 minutes. Heat the sauté pan over a medium-low flame. Add the olive oil and the garlic and red pepper flakes. Keep the garlic moving in the pan because you do not want to burn it. Pour in a cup or so of white wine and cook that on medium for a minute. Add the tomatoes and a bit of salt. Let it cook on medium-low until the timer goes off for the pasta.
Test the pasta to see if it’s done. If it is, reserve a cup of the pasta water and drain the pasta.
Turn the heat up to medium on the sauce, add the clams and clam juice and a knob of butter. Cook until the butter melts. Remove from the heat. Put the drained pasta into a large bowl, add the sauce and gently toss. If the sauce isn’t wet enough you can further moisten the pasta with the reserved pasta water.
Serve with grated Parmesan and ground pepper.
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