Clams capellini with fresh tomatoes

7
Points®
Total Time
20 min
Prep
5 min
Cook
15 min
Serves
4
Difficulty
Easy
Clams simmer in a fresh tomato sauce while capellini pasta cooks to perfection. If you have an extra 3 or 4 minutes, you can cook traditional linguine instead of capellini to go with this delicious clam sauce. Use a wine you like to drink since its flavor will become more intense as it cooks. Consider using halved grape or cherry tomatoes instead of the plum variety if you’re planning to make this recipe during the fall or winter. Their color will be more vibrant, and their flavor tends to be more superior during the cooler months of the year. No time for a salad? Hit up the supermarket’s salad bar instead.

Ingredients

Olive oil

1 Tbsp

Garlic

2 clove(s), minced

Canned clams

10 oz, drained, undrained

White wine

1½ fl oz, (3 tablespoons)

Plum tomato

2 medium, chopped

Fresh parsley

cup(s), fresh, chopped

Fresh basil

1 Tbsp, or 1 teaspoon dried

Black pepper

¼ tsp, freshly ground

Uncooked pasta

½ pound(s), capellini or angel hair variety

Instructions

  1. Fill a large saucepan with 2 quarts water and bring it to a boil over high heat.
  2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the clams and their juice; bring to a boil and cook rapidly until the liquid is reduced by about half, about 2 minutes. Add the wine, tomatoes, parsley, basil, and pepper; return to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer 1 minute.
  3. When the water boils, add the capellini and cook until tender, about 2 minutes. Drain and toss immediately with the clam mixture. Yields scant 1 cup per serving.