Pasta with clam sauce in 15 minutes

 

Here is another of my go-to dinners, perfect when you've worked, run to the doctor with a kid for a booster shot, voted on the school budget, been met by feline fur ball gifts inside the front door and just don't know what to make. 
You may have noticed we are heavy on the seafood around here lately as my oldest child has reached that moral age when suddenly mammals are off the menu. "I'm a pescatarian now," he announced a few weeks ago. This is probably a good thing since our meat intake had gone too high, and we are now happily bathing our little brains in Omega-3s thus staving off dementia. 
Of course, knowing the staying power of teenage convictions, we fully expect to return to carnivory in the not too distant future.

There are endless variations on this dish. Ideally, I would have had lovely golden fresh linguine, clams from the fish store, crisp white wine and parsley. But hey, I can't be Martha Stewart every day.

Pasta with Clam Sauce

Serves 4-6

1 lb pasta (all I had was angel hair)

4-6 cloves garlic
6 cans of clams
olive oil
basil
oregano
thyme
salt & pepper
hot pepper flakes

 

Start the pasta water.
Chop the garlic, or slice thinly if you prefer.
Chop fresh herbs
Drain the clams, reserving the liquid.

Heat 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil in thick-bottomed skillet. 

 

Add garlic and cook for a minute, do not let the garlic brown. 
Add clam juice, simmer to reduce for 7-10 minutes.
If using dried herbs, add them now.
 
Meanwhile add pasta to salted water.

When pasta is almost done add fresh herbs and spices to the clam juice, followed by the clams. Turn off heat under skillet or clams will become rubbery.

Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve on top of pasta in deep bowls. 
Drizzle with a good finishing oil.