Best Manila Clam Pasta Recipes

SPAGHETTI WITH CLAMS

Steps:

• In a large pot, bring to a boil 6 quarts of salted water. Add pasta, stirring constantly in the beginning to prevent it from sticking together. Cook until al dente, about 8 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large saute pan. When almost smoking, add shallots and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes, being careful not to burn the garlic. Add the clams and wine. Cover and simmer for 6 to 8 minutes or until most clams have opened.
• Add 2 tablespoons chopped parsley. Whisk in butter to thicken sauce slightly.
• Drain pasta in a colander. Do not rinse pasta with water - this will remove the pasta's natural starches. Place pasta into the clam saute pan and mix thoroughly. Check seasoning.
• Pour pasta into large serving bowl. Zest lemon over the dish, being carefull not to zest the white part of the lemon, which is bitter. Garnish with remaining parsley. Serve immediately.

CLAM PASTA WITH BASIL AND HOT PEPPER

Steps:

• 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 1/4 cup olive oil and pulse to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• 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.
• 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.)
• 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.

LINGUINE WITH MANILA CLAMS AND SPICY CHORIZO SAUSAGE

Steps:

• When using fresh tomatoes they must be peeled first. Dip them briefly in boiling water to loosen the skins. Peel, cut in half, remove and discard the seeds. Dice the tomatoes and have ready beside the stove. Bring the water to a boil in a large pot and season with salt while you prepare the sauce. The pasta will cook in 10 minutes and the sauce will take 15 minutes to cook entirely.
• Drain the anchovy fillets, rinse off the excess salt under cold water, pat dry, and chop roughly. Heat the olive oil in a sauce pan over medium heat. When hot, add the chopped anchovy fillets and saute over medium heat until the anchovies actually begin to dissolve and melt away. Add the rings of sausage and saute briefly before adding the clams in their shells. Add the garlic to the pan and before the garlic begins to brown, add the diced tomato, salt and pepper and cook for 5 to 8 minutes, before adding the white wine. Place a lid on the pan and cook until the clams steam open.
• When the water is boiling, cook the pasta according to package directions, timing it so the pasta will be completed at about the same time as the sauce. Just before you drain the pasta, add the basil to the sauce and continue cooking for just a minute longer. Remove the sauce from the heat and toss in a bowl with the drained pasta.

MANILA CLAMS

Steps:

• In a large saute pan cook the garlic in the olive oil until golden brown. Do not burn. Add the clams to the hot oil. **Be careful not to burn yourself. Add the wine, red pepper, fennel seed, lemon zest and juice.
• Raise the heat to high and steam the clams for 6 to 8 minutes until all the clams are open. Arrange the clams in 6 bowls using a slotted spoon. Add the tomatoes and parsley to the boiling broth and cook for 1 minute. Ladle the broth over the clams and serve.