I make a basic linguine clam dinner year round. Its such a great pantry dish, with good canned clams always on hand, lots of garlic and a little cream. But in the summer months I need to take full advantage of the flavors of the season. The light floral of saffron and diced heirloom tomatoes in green, yellow and red hues really brighten up this dish, and the addition of some fresh steamed clams give it that summery right from the sea saltiness. And it's still as easy as ever.
Cook your linguine (I like skinny linguine fini) in a big pot of salted water
Meanwhile, saute a couple cloves of garlic in olive oil (I like to grate my garlic with a microplane, it takes less time and it releases all those luscious oils)
Add a splash of white wine and a pinch of saffron, let this simmer until the saffron begins to release
Toss in a small can of chopped clams with their salty juices and a splash of half and half
And a handful of scrubbed steamers if you want to add some fresh ones too
Let it all simmer until the clams begin to open
(If you didn't do something fancy like soak your clams overnight in cornmeal and water, which I never think to do, you will want to carefully remove them and rinse out any sand. Either pop them back in whole, or chop them up and add to the sauce like I did in this photo)
Finish with a little lemon zest and cracked pepper, taste for salt, often the clams have just enough
For garnish, find the best tomatoes you can, preferably local ones from a farmstand or farmers market
Chop up coarsely, drizzle with good olive oil, a pinch of salt and chopped parsley
Serve family style on a big platter with crusty bread
No comments:
Post a Comment