Monday, May 26, 2008
Pair canned clams with pasta
Few ingredients have as bad a reputation as canned clams. Flip on any cooking show on television, and you’ll see chefs advocating nothing but fresh clams. But canned clams are convenient, and when used properly they can be part of a delicious meal. Their ease of preparation makes them a perfect companion to pasta.
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Pasta with Vegetable Clam Sauce
1 10-ounce can whole baby clams
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 medium carrot, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chopped tomatoes
2 teaspoons dried basil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
8 ounces uncooked pasta, such as fettuccine or rotini
Drain clams into a measuring cup; add enough water to clam juice to make 1 cup. Set aside.
Heat oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, celery, and garlic; sauté until onion softens, about 3 minutes. Add reserved clam juice, tomatoes, basil, salt, black pepper, and red pepper; increase heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes.
Cook pasta according to package directions to desired doneness; drain. Stir clams into sauce; cook until heated through, about 1 to 2 minutes. Pour sauce over pasta and gently toss. Makes 4 servings.
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Linguine with White Clam Sauce
1 16-ounce package linguini pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 6.5-ounce cans minced clams, drained, juice reserved
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley or 1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Cook pasta according to package directions to desired doneness; drain. Meanwhile, heat olive oil and garlic in a medium saucepan over medium heat until garlic is translucent, about 2 minutes. Add reserved juice, parsley, salt, and pepper. Increase heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; add clams and simmer for an additional 3 minutes. Toss pasta with clam sauce. Makes 6 to 8 servings.
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Pantry Pointers
When cooking pasta, boil plenty of water. This reduces the likelihood that the pasta will stick together and it helps the pasta cook more evenly.
To avoid tough canned clams, always add them at the end of the cooking process.
Canned clams are the basis for great chip dips. Blend a 6.5-ounce drained can with 1 8-ounce package of softened cream cheese. Season with a few dashes of hot pepper sauce and Worcestershire sauce and thin to desired consistency with clam juice.
The Practical Pantry ©2008 Tammy P. Olson
http://www.practicalpantry.com