Chilli & Garlic Clam Linguine with Pangrattato
Pasta, seafood and wine, the holy trinity of deliciousness
30 Jan 2016 30 mins 4
[ess_post]
Clams, chilli, garlic, a little white wine and pasta – what a combo. You could easily use cockles instead, or even pipi. Whatever shellfish you use, this dish is a ripper. So, hunt down some clams, or head to the shoreline for some cockles, and get cooking.
Ingredients
Pangratatto
150 grams 2-3 day old sourdough bread
3 tablespoons olive oil
Linguine
350 grams linguine pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 cloves garlic, very finely chopped
2 red chillies, finely chopped
½ cup white wine
1 kilogram clams (or cockles or pipi)
25 grams unsalted butter
large handful Italian flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
zest of 1 lemon
26cm heavy bottom pot with a lid
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Recipe
Pangrattato: Cut the sourdough into rough pieces and blitz to fine crumbs in a small food processor. Heat the oil in a non-stick frypan on a medium heat. Add the sourdough crumbs to the pan and cook, tossing occasionally, until golden and crisp. Remove and set aside.
Linguine: Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Once boiling, add the pasta and cook until al dente. While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a large 26cm pot on medium heat. Add the garlic and chilli and cook for 2-3 minutes until they start to soften. Add the clams, pour over the wine, then bang on the lid and leave to cook for 3-4 minutes until the clams have opened. Use a slotted spoon to quickly remove the opened clams from the pot to a large bowl, leaving the liquid behind. (If any clams don’t open, discard them.) Drain the pasta and tip it into the pot with the clam juice. Add the butter and toss the pasta until well coated in the butter and juices. Add the clams , 2/3 of the parsley and all the lemon zest and toss everything together.
To Serve: Divide the clam pasta between 4 large serving bowls, making sure to pour over any liquid from the bottom of the pot. (This liquid is what it’s all about!) Sprinkle over the remaining parsley and top each plate with a healthy dose of pangrattato.
NB: This dish is all about timing. You want your pasta and clams to cook at the same time, so you can bring them together while both are still hot. This means you’ll need to have all your prep work done beforehand (parsley chopped, lemon zested) so you’re ready to go. It takes confidence and a little practise, so the more you make it the better you’ll become.
