Linguine with smooth clams

Smooth clam linguine recipe

Preparation and cooking

• - Prepare smooth clams.
  Place them, still in their shells, in a large bowl and cover with salt cold water, at least 2 hours.
  Change sometimes this water.
  Shells should open partially in the water. On the contrary smooth clams are not fresh. This is what happened to us.
  Then proceed to the total opening of these molluscs.
  Smooth clams should be opened following precise instructions.
  But I have to confess ...I made this step by putting them, just drained from water, in a pan, half-covered, on high heat. Just like I do with other bivalve molluscs.
  Chefs may not be happy, but it's necessary to have a manual ability that I miss. And necessary time :))
  During this phase clams emit their water that is precious for cooking. So do not throw it.
  Once cooled, remove every mollusc and put apart.
  If you notice sand presence, put them in cold water several times until you can notice no more sand. That's what my husband and I did with a lot of patience.
  Filter all liquid left on the bottom of the pan you've used for opening your smooth clams. I usually use a piece of cloth for this purpose.
  At this point you have to beat your smooth clams with a wooden hammer for kitchen to reduce their cooking time and then chop them.
• - Prepare pasta sauce.
  Chop leek and put it in a non-stick frying pan with olive oil and bay leaf.
  Let all fry slightly, stirring frequently, some minutes.
  Add shelled smooth clams, stir and let all flavor, stirring now and then.
  Pour in their filtered liquid and bring to a boil again.
  Add hot water if necessary.
  Cooking time: 20 minutes if you've beaten your smooth clams, on the contrary you have to increase your cooking time.
  Once turned off the stove, add dried herbs and stir.
  I didn't season to taste with salt my sauce and it was OK.
• - Cook pasta.
  Follow the instructions on the package to cook pasta.
  Drain it very well.
  Transfer it in the pan with smooth clam sauce and stir to toss.

Just before serving

• - Your pasta is ready.
  Serve it in individual plates.

Note

Tips

• - Despite their not excessive freshness and the presence of sand, we found smooth clam pasta very tasty.
• - If you like garlic, add a clove to leek. I prefer not to add it because I think it alters the real flavors of the ingredients.
• - As I've just written above my smooth clam sauce was the occasion to test a particular kind of pasta made with Saragolla (Trilicum turgidum) wheat. It is produced in an organic firm in Abruzzo. This durum wheat variety, also known as "wheat of Pharaoh" comes from Egypt and was cultivated between the sixteenth and the nineteenth century in the countryside Pretuziano which currently corresponds to an area of the province of Teramo (Abruzzo). Saragolla wheat gives rise to slender seedlings but with heavier grains, it's the reason why it doesn't resist to rain and wind. So it often had poor harvests in the past and its cultivation was abandoned in favor of modified and more resistant varieties. In recent years there was a rediscovery of this ancient wheat that has interesting nutritional properties and which is well suited for organic production too. The company Flarà, whose owners my husband and I met in person at SANA, recommended us its pasta and flour. For the moment we have tested pasta ... very tasty. Flour from Saragolla is stone ground and it has a low glycemic peak. Here's the address of the company.
  Azienda Flarà Villa Ruzzi 14, 64030 Castel Castagna (TE) Tel 3471296743
• - Obviously, you can use the quality of pasta you prefer with this smooth clam sauce.
• - You can see a mollusc in its shell in the photo. But it is not just the case to garnish and serve your pasta dish in this manner because smooth clams need to be well beaten before eating them raw.

Menu planning

• - Linguine with smooth clam sauce is a perfect one-plate meal for your family menu. If you are still hungry, add raw seasonal vegetables to munch on or a green salad.
• - I suggest this smooth clam pasta for your get-togethers because it combines very well wit other seafood. Here's a typical Italian menu idea.
  Starter. Choose a delicate seafood appetizer. For example seafood salad accompanied by Neapolitan crostini, other crostini topped with vegetables, assorted black and green olives, a savory tart cut into pieces.
  First course. This pasta dish.
  Second dish. A large size fish, baked in salt and accompanied by green salad.
  Dessert. Choose a cake without whipped cream. It's special a fruit tart according to me.

Useful links for this recipe

• - Interested to know what is SANA?
• - A few days later, secured by this experience, I have also made gnocchi with seafood sauce using smooth clams again.
• - Here are the recipes I have just suggested for a full Italian menu. Seafood salad and Neapolitan crostini will open your meal. Want to know some savory tart recipe ideas?
  Fruit tart is a perfect dessert for an Italian only-fish menu!

Healthy eating

• - Smooth clam pasta is certainly rich in terms of calorie and protein intake.
  As I have written above, it should not be followed by a second course because it is one-plate meal.
  If you are hungry, you should munch on some raw vegetables in season or dress a green salad with a little olive oil (1 teaspoon per head).
  Of course, these words are addressed to those who can follow a normal diet of 2000 calories per day.
• - I always recommend not to eat raw shellfish because it may transmit hepatitis A.
• - Fiber per portion: 5 grams

Loretta

What's the right wine ?

My husband and I chose Pinot Grigio Lison Pramaggiore (red wine from Veneto) to match to my pasta dish. We like very much an organic Pinot Grigio produced by firm Le Carline. Follow the link to read more.