Wednesday, 12 October 2011

• A More Robust Linguine and Clams

  
  While linguine and clams is typically a wonderful classic dish, sometimes some things need a little bit of modifying. For a more robust dish, try adding roasted tomatoes and caramelized garlic as seen in this recipe (adapted from the original New York Times recipe): 

  What you'll need:

  • 14 garlic cloves
  • 2 pints cherry tomatoes (my parents have tomato plants of their own, so I try to get mine from them as often as possible)
  • 6 tablespoons olive oil (preferably extra-virgin)
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 pound linguine (dry if possible)
  • at least 1/2 cup dry white wine (more wine means a more prominent sauce)
  • 4 dozen clams (these need to be just the right size-- manila clams are too small but middlenecks are too big. Try for littleneck clams)
  • 1/4 cup mint leaves (these should be fresh)

  Preheat the oven at 450.

  Peel your garlic. Smash half and chop half. 

  Then, put the smashed garlic in a baking pan. Add the tomatoes, 2 tablespoons of oil, salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper. Make sure you spread this out evenly in the pan. Roast the tomatoes for 15 minutes or until bursting. 

  Cook the pasta until just shy of being fully cooked and drain.

  In your pasta pot, add the remainder of your oil and the chopped garlic along with the red pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds. Add the wine and let it simmer. Then, add in the roasted tomatoes and garlic. Stir. Add the clams and cover the pot for 8 minutes or until the majority of the clams open. 

  Once the clams are done, put them in a separate bowl. Put the pasta back into the pot which should now contain your sauce. Add the rest of the black pepper. Cook and toss until pasta is done. Put the clams back in the pot and toss again.

  Serve and add mint. Feel free to drizzle more oil on top. I prefer to add a substantial amount of crushed red pepper to my own dish. 

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