This is another one of my favorite easy go to meals. It works with both fresh and canned clams. I like it both ways. This version was made with canned clams. One thing though, this is a better dish with dried spaghetti than fresh pasta. I have had it both ways, and because the clam meat is so soft, the toothiness of the el dente spaghetti makes the dish sing. Its basically 5 ingredients:
- Garlic
- Clams
- Spaghetti
- Red pepper flakes
- Flat leaf parsley
While the spaghetti is boiling, in a pan you get the garlic going, not burnt, but fragrant. Next I add a good pinch of red pepper flakes. I like to add a little anchovy paste, some white wine, and the juice of half a lemon. The base of the sauce is really the clam juice either from the cans or from the shells opening. If you make it with fresh clams, then discard the shells. Add the clams themselves then as the spaghetti gets to lightly done, add it to the pan to finish. Toss in the chopped parsley and you have one hell of a good dish! It’s basically ready to eat in 12 minutes.
My Life: A Memoir 