Balls and Walnuts
more than you ever wanted to know
Fettuccini and clams
This recipe is not that tough. How do so many restaurants manage ruin it?
Easy: canned clams. If you don’t have access to fresh clams, keep your distance from this recipe.
To serve three little people, you’ll need:
2 lbs fresh clams
2 bottles (16 oz) clam juice (I use Snow’s)
1/2 box of fettuccini (I use deCecco)
Italian parsley
butter
olive oil
salt
pepper
onion
garlic
shallots, if ya got ’em
1. Soak the clams in cold salted water. I use a heaping tablespoon of salt in four cups of water. Gaze at the clams lovingly as they stick their fleshy protuberances out of their shells and spit water and mucus at you. It’s really quite obscene.
2. Start the heat on your pasta pot. I salt and oil my pasta water.
3. Finely chop half an onion, one or two shallots, and at least two cloves of garlic. Saute until soft in three tablespoons of butter and two tablespoons of olive oil (the amounts are not critical). Pour off a few tablespoons of oil and save it for later. Don’t worry if some of the chunky stuff gets into the oil. No major big.
4. Add a good handful of chopped Italian parsley and 16 oz. of clam juice to the onions. Simmer for 10 – 15 minutes. Set aside a tablespoon or two of finely chopped Italian parsley for later.
5. Cook the fettuccini per package instructions. Meanwhile . . .
6. Strain the clams and rinse under cold water. Add them to the onion/clam juice broth, cover, and simmer for 5-6 minutes. All of the shells should open. Take the pot off the heat and set aside.
7. Strain fettuccini* (once it is done) and toss with the reserved oil, finely chopped parsley, a little salt, some freshly ground pepper. Plate out the fettuccini into pasta BOWLS, not dishes, then ladle clams/onions/soup onto the pasta. Serve with a nice crusty French bread. The soup is delicious, by the way.
*Finesse move: when straining the fettuccini, let the hot water pour into your mixing bowl and serving bowls to heat them up. That way, everything stays hot.
See? Easy!
D.
You know, this sounds luscious. I may spike it with a bit of vermouth.
Vermouth sounds good, fanatic. I think I have added white wine to this, on occasion.