When you’re looking for a quick, frugal weeknight meal seafood may not be the first thing that comes to mind, but this recipe may change that. I admit that I was skeptical about this one. I’m a seafood lover at heart, and have enjoyed clam sauce countless times in restaurants. But I’ve never cooked with canned clams, and wasn’t expecting much in terms of flavor. I was wrong – I loved this meal from the first bite to last, and was surprised at how closely this resembled the dish that I remembered.
The sauce is rich and creamy, and so simple to make. The whole meal can be ready in the time it takes to cook the pasta. Some recipes that claim to be easy still require quite a bit of thought as you move through the steps, but this isn’t one of those recipes. You don’t need any special techniques or skills to get this on the table. Although I made this as our weekly celebratory End of the Week meal I’m planning on adding this one to my weeknight menus as well. You just can’t beat a dinner that tastes as great as this one, cooks this quickly, and fits into the budget so easily.
Linguine with Clam Sauce
serves 4
1 pound linguine or spaghetti (I used whole wheat pasta)
3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans (6.5 oz each) minced clams, drained and juices reserved
1/2 cup white wine (optional)
1/2 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
grated parmesan
Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and oil.
Meanwhile, add oil and butter to a large heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat. Heat until butter is melted. Add garlic to pan and stir frequently, about 45 seconds. Add the reserved juice from the clams to the pan, along with wine if using. Simmer over medium heat stirring occasionally until liquid is reduced by about half. Add clams and cream to pan. Cook until clams are heated through, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Drain pasta and divide among 4 plates or shallow bowls. Spoon sauce evenly over pasta. Sprinkle with parsley and grated parmesan as desired. Serve immediately.
adapted from Annies Eats
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This was awesome! I added mushrooms and asparagus and it was amazing! This has been added to our regular menu rotation.