WHITE CLAM SAUCE RECIPES

Steps:

• Melt butter in heavy skillet over med/low heat.
• Add whole clams with juice, and garlic. Cook over low heat until clams are heated through and edges begin to curl.
• Remove clams. Add the bottle of clam juice, white wine and heavy cream. Cook about 10 min to reduce slightly. This sauce will be thin. You want a bit of broth in your dish.
• Remove garlic cloves
• Add clams back into sauce and toss with your preferred pasta. I usually use fettuccini
• Note: I often like to add a chopped tomato to this sauce. You would add the tomato after the 10 min cooking time, just to warm the chopped tomato.

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions until 2 minutes short of al dente (it will finish cooking in the sauce). Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain pasta.
• While the pasta cooks, make your sauce: Heat the oil in a deep-sided 12-inch skillet over medium. Add the garlic, red-pepper flakes and oregano and cook until the garlic is pale golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the vermouth and simmer until reduced by half, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the clams with their juices and cook until just warmed through, 1 to 2 minutes more. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
• Add the cooked pasta directly to the skillet along with the butter and lemon zest and toss until the butter has melted and the pasta is glossy with sauce. If needed, add 1/4 cup reserved pasta water. Stir in half the parsley.
• Serve pasta topped with a drizzle of olive oil, if desired, and the remaining parsley. Serve lemon wedges alongside if you like.