pantry pasta: canned clams in white wine sauce spaghetti
Clams in white wine sauce is one of my mom’s favorite dishes. Every time she sees in on the menu, she has to order it. With the quarantine happening, I am unable to take my mom out to dinner. That’s why I love having this recipe. It has all the same flavors without the need of fresh clams. Canned clams in clam juice are so affordable and self stable. Best part of this recipe, it only takes 15 minutes and everything else is a pantry staple.
pantry pasta: canned clams in white wine sauce spaghetti
Prep time: 15 minutes | Total time: 15 minutes
Serves: 2
Ingredients:
8 ounces spaghetti
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 - 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3/4 cup white wine
1 lemon, finely grated zest of whole lemon and juice of half
1 6.5-ounce can chopped clams in clam juice*
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Instructions:
Bring a large pot of water to boil. Season generously with kosher salt. The water should taste like the sea. Once boiling, add spaghetti and cook to al dente according to package directions. Reserve 3/4 cup of pasta water. Drain well in a colander and set aside.
Heat a large Dutch Oven over medium heat. Add olive oil and heat until oil is shimmering. Add garlic, dried oregano and red pepper flakes, stirring occasionally. Once the garlic is slightly golden brown, about 1 minute. Adjust heat to high and add the wine. Let the wine reduce by half, about 2 minutes. Add the chopped clams with juice, zest and juice of half a lemon. Stir until the mixture is well combined.
Transfer the pasta from the colander to the Dutch oven and mix well with the clam sauce. Add the pasta water and toss well. Sprinkle half the parsley and season with salt to taste. Transfer pasta to serving bowls. Spoon over clams and sauce in the pot and sprinkle with remaining parsley. Drizzle with additional olive, if desired. Enjoy!
Cook’s Note
Why chopped clams in clam juice?*
There are some many different brands of canned clams available. The brand does not matter as much but having it in clam juice is key. The natural sweetness from the clam juice will give it extra flavor that you will get from fresh clams minus the shells.
Allergy with clams?
If you have an allergy with shellfish, feel free to switch this to your favorite protein. Just cook protein first in the Dutch oven before building the sauce.