The best pasta dishes are the simplest, pasta with clams can be added to this list. Minimal ingredients, maximum impact and the sauce is ready in the time it takes to bring a pot of water to boil and cook your pasta.
A convenience product I always have in my pantry are cans of clams. I can whip up a clam chowder or make this dish. Olive oil, butter, pasta, salt, chili flakes, onion, garlic, wine, lemon and pasta of course.
Often, clams and seafood get paired with linguine but I like pasta shells even more as the clam meat gets caught in the shells.
Pasta Shells With Clams
Course: MainCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Easy4
servings5
minutes10
minutesIngredients
450 gr. of pasta shells
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup diced white onion
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup dry white wine
juice and zest of 1/2 lemon
1 can of clams (+ juice)
salt and chili flakes to taste
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
Directions
- Place a pot of water on your stovetop. Once boiling, add salt and pasta shells and cook for 9 minutes.
- Meanwhile, place a large skillet on your stovetop over medium heat. Add your olive oil, onions, garlic and sweat for 5 minutes. Add wine and simmer until reduced by half.
- Add clams (and juices) and simmer for 5 minutes to warm through.
- Reserve one cup of pasta water and drain pasta. Add pasta to the sauce, a ladle of pasta water and simmer while occasionally tossing.
- Add lemon zest and juice, parsley, butter (or more olive oil) and chili flakes and toss to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning to taste.
- Divide, plate and serve.