This is one of my favorite dishes to make. It is light and elegant, and best of all, you can have it on the table with a salad, baguette, and glass of wine in 20 minutes.
Ingredients
**1/2 lb mussels
**1/2 lb clams
1 large shallot, minced
1 large clove of garlic, minced
1/2 c. dry white wine, such as chardonnay
Splash of cream, milk, or whatever you have on hand
1/4 c. of freshly minced parsley
1/4 c. of freshly grated parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper
Pinch of red pepper flakes
**1/3 – 1/2 box of thin spaghetti
It may seem intimidating, but honestly, it is so simple. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When the water is boiling, add 1/2 of the package of pasta to the water. Cook until al dente, according to the directions on the box.
Place the clams and mussels in a large bowl of cold, salted water. In the meantime, heat 1 T. of olive oil over medium low heat. Add the shallots and let sweat for a minute. Add the garlic, 1/4 tsp. salt and a crack of freshly ground black pepper. Stir and let sweat for another 5 minutes, or until translucent. Add the wine and simmer for 5 minutes, or until the wine has reduced by half. Whisk the ingredients and slowly add the cream, 1/2 of the parsley, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Keep at a low simmer.
Drain the mussels and clams and dry them off with a towel. Add the clams to the sauce, cover, and cook for 4 minutes. The pasta should be just about ready by now. Using a slotted spoon, add the pasta to the saucepan, allowing excess water to drip in to the sauce. Add the mussels and stir the mixture to combine. Cover the pan and simmer for another 4-5 minutes, or until the mussels and clams have all opened.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and sprinkle with 1/2 of the parmesan and mix to combine. Place the pasta mixture on plates and top with the remaining parmesan, parsley, a drizzle of olive oil and freshly ground black pepper.
** When you buy clams or mussels, make sure that they are all closed tightly at the market, otherwise they are dead. Also, if a mussel or clam does not open after cooking, then it is dead and you should discard it.
** Any type of pasta would do with this dish. Penne is also one of my favorites to use.
** This recipe serves 2-3 people. When I am cooking for more people, this easily doubles, triples, etc. and I like to add shrimp and baby scallops along with the clams and mussels.
** If you are serving this for guests, it is nice to take the mussels and clams out of their shell (after you have cooked everything together). Reserve some of the shells to garnish on a large platter or on individual plates. This allows for a very elegant presentation, while allowing your guests to steer clear of having to use their hands and fork to pull the meat out the of the shell.
The Rustic Loaf 