Spaghetti with Clam Sauce to Die For!: Foodie Friday

Spaghetti with Clam Sauce copyright 2012

When I say this recipe is “to die for” I mean it quite literally. When my great aunt Jenny was in the hospital for the last 2 weeks of her life my mother had to bring her spaghetti and clam sauce every night for dinner. “I don’t want to go out eating hospital food.” Jenny would say, “I want to go out eating what I love.” 

Jenny was 96 yrs. old and comfortable with the fact that she was dying. She had lived a rich and full life. She was very involved in her church and local politics, and never missed a good party! So, when she told me, “I’m gonna die now.” All I could say was, “I think that’s OK.” “I know it is” she said, “but you listen to me, you need to have another baby. That one is lonely.”

So a year later I had my daughter and she loves spaghetti and clam sauce so much  that she asked me to make it for her 3rd grade food heritage party. “Don’t you want me to make lasagna or raviolis, something that most kids will eat.” “No it’s my favorite dish.” So I made it, and she was right. The kids and parents gobbled it up. I will never doubt my daughter’s culinary sense again, and I will never underestimate what a 3rd grader might eat.

Spaghetti with Clam Sauce

by Diane Balch

prep: 20 minute serves: 4-6

1 pound of Barilla Plus Spaghetti or Schar's gluten-free Spaghetti

1/4 cup of extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon of anchovy paste or crushed into paste whole jarred anchovy

4 cloves of garlic

1 teaspoon or more of red pepper flakes (or ground cayenne if serving to kids)

1/2 cups of dry white wine

1 can chopped clams with juice

1 can chopped clams no juice
1/4 cup of fresh chopped parsley
(or 1/8 cup dried parsley)

grated parmesan cheese

salt and pepper to taste

1. Bring a well salted sauce pot filled 1/4 with water to a boil for the pasta.
2. Put oil, garlic, red pepper, & anchovy paste in a large skillet. Heat on medium low. Do not brown the garlic. Mix and incorporate the anchovy paste until it dissolves into the oil.
3. Add wine and clam juice bring to a boil for about 5 minutes until water starts to evaporate.
4. Turn heat off, add clams mix.
5. Let sauce sit on heat while pasta cooks.
6. Add pasta and parsley, mix well and let stand for 5 minutes.
7. Sprinkle individual servings with parmesan.
8. Serve with a side green salad and white wine.

NOTE: If you want to make a gourmet version of this dish use fresh clams and fresh spaghetti. (The anchovy paste is key to this recipe do not (I know it's anchovy, but trust me.) delete it.
copyright 2012
http://verygoodrecipes.com/italia
Italian, fish pasta