This easy spaghetti with clams is my "go-to" recipe when we want a meatless pasta dinner. It's a white clam sauce and can be made with linguini or other favorite noodles.
If I could, I'd probably eat this dish once a week. This is true for many pasta dishes but these days we are trying to cut back on the carbs and eat more healthy proteins. I think one of the problems is that pasta is so delicious you tend to easily over-eat and portion control goes out of the window.
Still, this spaghetti with clam sauce is so easy and outside of having fresh parsley and lemon on hand during the winter, you probably have everything you need in the pantry to make this dish.
Making Spaghetti with Clams
It's also really quick. You get your water boiling and as the pasta cooks, you can quickly saute the garlic and clams in their own liquid, and add in a few other goodies, making the entire dish ready to eat in under 30 minutes.
I like to add fresh lemon juice and lemon zest near the end.
Pasta water is also added to make a little extra sauce.
The spaghetti is lifted straight from the pasta water (no need to drain in a colander) into the saute pan and allowed to cook with the sauce for a minute or two. Grated Parmesan cheese is the finishing touch.
This is basically my version of linguini with white clam sauce that you might find at a great Italian restaurant. Of course, you can make it with linguini, fettuccine, angel hair, or any long pasta noodle.
Note: Don't forget to serve it with lots of extra grated Parmesan or Romano cheese.
It's so yummy, and if we aren't supporting our local fish fry we often have this on Fridays during Lent. After all, it is the weekend.
More Seafood Recipes
Spaghetti with Clams
This easy spaghetti with clam sauce is my "go-to" recipe when we want a meatless pasta dinner. It's a white clam sauce and can be made with linguini or other favorite noodles.
Ingredients
- 2 6.5 oz cans of chopped clams
- 2 large garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil or extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1 lemon (juice and zest)
- 1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 pound of dry spaghetti
Instructions
- Start the water for the pasta.
- Mince the garlic and chop the parsley.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet.
- Add the garlic and the clams including any liquid from the cans.
- Simmer on low.
- Boil the pasta in a large pot with salt.
- A couple of minutes before the pasta is done (al dente) add the parsley and red pepper flakes.
- Then add the juice and zest of one lemon.
- Next, add the pasta directly into the pan with the clam sauce and stir well.
- Then add a couple of ladles of the pasta water and simmer for another minute.
- Remove from the stove and toss with Parmesan cheese.
- Serve with extra Parmesan cheese on the side.
Notes
Add a tablespoon or 2 of butter at the end for extra silkiness and flavor.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 532Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 214mgCarbohydrates: 89gFiber: 5gSugar: 4gProtein: 19g
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site.
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