During the summer my extended family and I spend a lot of time at my grandparent’s shore house. My grandpa is an incredible cook and my grandma has a way with hosting. Together they make the perfect pair.
This summer I decided I wanted to spend time cooking with my grandpa and document our family recipes. Of all the ideas my family and I came up with this was on the short list to start with. My grandpa makes clams and spaghetti at least 6 times a summer. It’s one of those dishes that never gets old. The method and ingredients are humble, as are most traditional Italian dishes, but the result is absolute magic.
A few tips my grandpa taught me when making this dish:
- Thoroughly rinse your clams and always sniff each one. If any of them have a strong odor, get rid of them. If any shells are already open, get rid of them.
- Instead of using 5 or 6 cloves, use 10 or 12. But instead of keeping them in the pot once you’ve browned them, discard them and you’ll be left with perfectly infused oil.
- Use butter and oil – the reason is 2 fold. 1. Butter imparts an additional flavor that oil alone won’t provide to the broth and 2. Oil has a higher smoke point than butter. Combining them allows you to use the necessary amount of heat to properly brown the garlic.
Products I use to accommodate diets:
- Gluten Free
- Dairy Free
Clams and Spaghetti
Ingredients
- 50 little neck clams
- 1 cup white wine
- 1/4 cup oil
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1/2 cup chopped parsley
- 10 cloves garlic
- spaghetti
Instructions
- Cook spaghetti: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook spaghetti until al dente. Drain and coat in oil. Set aside.
- Rinse clams: Thoroughly rinse clams and sniff each one. If any have a strong odor or have already opened, discard them.
- Brown garlic: Peel 10 cloves of garlic and use the side of a knife to smash each clove. In a large pot on medium-high heat add 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter. Add garlic and tilt the pot so all cloves are submerged in oil/butter. Cook until golden brown, 3-4 minutes, then discard garlic.
- Steam clams: In the same pot add 1 cup white wine, 1/2 cup chopped parsley, and 50 little neck clams. Cover with a lid and cook for 8-10 minutes or until all of the shells have opened. If any shells do note open after 11 minutes, discard them.
- Serve: Remove pot from heat, add pasta, toss, and serve.