by the beautiful sea

I love seafood. Always have. According to my folks, I could down a dozen clams on the half shell before I could talk (practically). I remember polishing off an entire bucket of steamers at our local italian restaurant all by myself–the wait staff was astonished. And don’t even get me started on oysters! Lobster? I live for it. Needless to say, this classic pasta is one of my favorites. With only a handful of ingredients, the secret to getting maximum flavor in this dish is timing–have all the elements prepped and ready to rock. Then it’s a dance to combine everything together and make it sing. Serve with crusty, buttery garlicky ciabbata to sop up all the briny juices. You can almost hear the waves crash….

Use littleneck clams for this pasta–cockles are too small and the meat tends to be rubbery. Rinse and scrub the clamshells well, place in a bowl, throw in a large pinch of flour or cornmeal, and cover with water. The flour acts as an irritant to the clams, causing them to “cough” out sand particles in their shells, releasing any grit that might otherwise ruin this pasta.

 

Place a large sauté pan over a medium low flame, and heat olive oil and butter. Add sliced garlic and red pepper flakes, and sauté until garlic is just translucent. Add the clams, which have been drained and rinsed, a large sprig of fresh thyme, and white wine. Raise the heat slightly, cover the pan and cook until the clamshells begin to open, about 8 to 10 minutes. Discard any clams that don’t open.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to boil, add a generous handful of salt and cook linguine according to package directions, until al dente. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

Remove cover from saute pan and lower heat. I like to mix in some fresh minced clams to add body to the sauce. If you choose this optional addition, cook them gently for 4 minutes. Finish sauce with 1 tablespoon butter and fresh lemon juice. Taste and season if necessary. Mix cooked pasta directly into the pan. Add some of the reserved pasta water, if needed, to fortify the sauce. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and ladle into individual bowls. Serve Buttery Garlic Ciabatta, and lots of napkins, alongside.

Serves 4:

Buttery Garlic Ciabbata

Crusty bread, creamy butter, loads of garlic–what’s not to love? Bring one stick of butter to room temperature. Using a garlic press, mash 3 to 4 cloves of garlic and mix into butter. Season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Split a large loaf of ciabbata bread in half and generously spread butter on both halves. Toast in a 425 degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until butter is bubbling and bread is golden brown. Cut loaf halves horizontally into slices.
                                                      

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