Pasta with Fresh Tomato and Clam Sauce

When pasta and seafood come together, the best ingredients are the freshest and the simplest. The sauce in this recipe is made from four main ingredients: shallot, garlic, tomatoes, and clams.

I used “middleneck” clams, which are a bit larger than littlenecks, but just as fresh tasting, briny, and juicy. There are about 10 middleneck clams per pound. Plan on six per person when you’re serving them with pasta and sauce.

Middleneck Clams

I added a cup of clam juice to the tomato sauce to give the clams plenty of broth to steam in. This creates a very runny sauce and more than you’ll need for two servings. Just divide the rest of the ingredients between the bowls and pour however much sauce you want over each.

Sauce Ingredients

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 4 oz thin spaghetti
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 medium shallot, finely chopped
• 3 medium stem tomatoes, coarsely chopped
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup bottled clam juice
• 1 dozen middleneck clams, scrubbed
• 2 tbsp coarsely chopped Italian parsley

Chopped Shallot and Garlic

Chopped Tomatoes

Preparation

1. Cook the spaghetti in boiling, salted water about 6 minutes. Drain.
2. Heat a large, deep skillet over medium-low heat and add the olive oil. Add the garlic and shallot and cook until very fragrant and beginning to soften, about 2 minutes.

Shallot and Garlic Beginning to Cook

1. Add the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Increase the heat to medium and cook until the tomatoes begin to break down, about 4 minutes.

Tomatoes Beginning to Cook

Tomatoes Broken Down

Add the clam juice and bring the sauce to a simmer. Add the clams, cover the skillet, and cook until they open, about 10 minutes. (Discard any that do not open.)

Clams Beginning to Cook

Cooked Clam Sauce

To serve, divide the pasta between 2 bowls and spoon the sauce on top, 6 clams per bowl. Pour a little extra sauce over each, if desired, and garnish with parsley.