Pasta with Clam Sauce

I am very excited to share with you this recipe for Pasta with Clam Sauce for a number of reasons. First, this is a recipe that is about as classic and traditional as it gets in regards to an Italian-American kitchen. Second, it is also a recipe that not only have I not ever featured on this blog, but also one that I have not ever had the opportunity to make on my own.

Most of all, this is a recipe that is not only enjoyable any time of the year, it is also a perfect dish to include in the upcoming Christmas Eve Feast of the Seven Fish dinner.

The recipe is courtesy of friend and fellow foodie, Janelle Fragale. Janelle has a deep passion for her Italian-American culture and heritage, and this is reflected in her love for continuing her family’s traditions in the kitchen. Her family also has a background in the food industry, which carries through with her passion for cooking. When Janelle asked if I would be interested in sharing her family recipe for Pasta with Clam Sauce, I was elated. I also though it would be a good opportunity to lead off with a Q&A session to find out more about her passion and history with food, along with some tips and tricks on how she manages certain dietary restrictions.

I hope you enjoy the Q&A session, along with Janelle’s recipe for Pasta with Clam Sauce. Buon Natale!
– Dom

You come from an Italian American family that is steeped in tradition, where family gatherings are important. Can you share a little of the traditions that your family follows?

One of the most important traditions that we’ve always done is no matter what, we make sauce on Sunday and we eat together. Sometimes we have meatballs in the sauce, pepperoni, sausage, braicole, all of these meats give the sauce a delicious flavor. We usually call it Sunday dinner even though it happens around 2 o’clock in the afternoon. In Italy, they usually have a bigger meal in the middle of the day so that’s why we usually say Sunday dinner. This all goes well with a nice loaf of bread for dipping! 

Your family has a history in the food industry. Can you share a little about that? How did this exposure help influence your tastes in food? 

Yes, so my family owned a wholesale meat business where we serviced many of the restaurants, deli’s, pizzerias, & banquet halls. As an appreciation to these customers for buying from us, we would frequent these restaurants on a Saturday night. From a young girl, I knew right away what an experience it was to dine out. From the atmosphere, to the appetizers, to the specials, etc I used to take it all in and knew how special it was and what was unique about each place. I would also be critiquing in my head of what I thought could be better too!

Holiday gatherings and big family meals are often a key component to an Italian-American family. What were holidays like for you growing up? Do you continue with the same traditions?

Holidays growing up were a lot of fun. My favorite holiday has to be Christmas Eve since a lot of my favorite food is on that menu. We always celebrated the Feast of the Seven Fish where you incorporate some type of fish in almost every meal that night. Pasta with Clam Sauce, a cold Seafood Salad, Fried Shrimp/Fried Calamari just to name a few. Then after we ate, Santa would make a special trip in to hand out all of the gifts. We still continue this tradition til this day and I am looking forward to it this year! 

You mentioned to me that you have a nut allergy. How old were you when you discovered this? Do you find this to be a challenge being in a family where gatherings often involved food?

I was about 5 years old when I discovered that I had a nut allergy. I was actually helping my Grandmother crack walnuts open and I started to get a severe allergic reaction. Throughout the years, we had to adjust certain things, especially in desserts.  

What are some tricks that you can share for a dish that normally calls for a nut ingredient? For example, pesto comes to mind for me right away. One of the key ingredients that I use are pine nuts or walnuts. What tips can you offer for the readers who may also deal with nut allergies?

Some alternatives could be using a seed or seed butter such as sunflower seed butter for that nutty taste. For pesto, I usually omit the nuts altogether or add in some sunflower seeds and of course some extra grated cheese and garlic.

Who would you say is your biggest influence in the kitchen?

My biggest influence in the kitchen is of course my Mom. She has always been an excellent cook & baker as well. I have learned a lot from her throughout the years. I always paid attention, even though she didn’t give me much time to practice since she was always doing the cooking lol. She’s impressed with my cooking skills now. 

What is one ingredient that you could not live without?

One ingredient  I would never live without would be garlic!!! The more garlic the better!! Nothing worse than a dish without any garlic! 

Pasta with Clam Sauce

Courtesy of Janelle Fragale

1 pound of linguini or long pasta of choice 
6 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4-6 cloves of garlic finely chopped  (the more the better)
1/2 cup of dry white wine 
Red pepper flakes (about 1/2 teaspoon, plus additional to your preference)
2 pounds of of little neck clams cleaned 
2 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley
Salt to taste 

In a large pot over high heat, bring water and salt to a boil. Add linguini or pasta of choice and cook according to the directions. You can leave the pasta a bit under cooked since it will cook another minute or two when combined with the other ingredients. Reserve one cup pasta water.

In a separate large sauté pan, heat the olive oil. Add in the chopped garlic and sauté just until golden. Add the wine, red pepper flakes, salt, clams and some fresh parsley. Bring to a simmer and cook covered until the clams open. 

Drain the pasta and add it to the pan along with some of the reserved cooking water, 1/4 cup at a time, to create a nice saucy consistency. 

Toss and mix altogether. Add some more fresh parsley and red pepper flakes and salt if needed. Transfer to pasta bowl and serve with a nice piece of crusty Italian bread!

Cacio e Pepe Spaghetti Squash with Bacon and Peas

Traditional Cacio e Pepe is a Roman pasta dish that literally translates to “cheese and pepper.” This recipe marries together the simple yet enjoyable comfort dish with the classic combination of peas and bacon, and one of my favorite winter squashes.

If you are not familiar with spaghetti squash, it is an oval shaped winter squash, and the outer skin usually has a light or bright yellow color. Similar to other winter squash, like butternut or acorn squash, there is a fair amount of seeds and pulp that needs to be removed once cut open. The seeds can be seasoned and roasted like pumpkin seeds. However, the taste is a bit mild compared to butternut and acorn squash. The meaty texture also shreds after being cooked, which then makes it look like…you guessed it, spaghetti!

It is a healthy, nutritional alternative to traditional spaghetti if you are looking for a low carb pasta-type dish. It pairs well with spaghetti sauce, and also works well with butter, brown sugar and cinnamon, similar to what you would use for butternut squash.

What I enjoy about this recipe is that it offers lots of flavor, yet the steps are fairly simple. It is also a good meal to prepare either during the week or for a nice Sunday dinner!

Cacio e Pepe Spaghetti Squash with Bacon and Peas

1 large spaghetti squash
olive oil
1 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
2 teaspoons fresh cracked black pepper
1 cup cooked peas
1/2 cup cooked bacon pieces
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 cup Mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and pulp.
3. Lightly brush the inside and edge of each half of the squash with olive oil. Season the oil-brushed squash with 1 teaspoon of salt and the Italian seasoning.
4. Place the squash cut side down on the baking sheet. Bake for 45 minutes.
5. Remove the squash from the oven, flip the squash over and let cool for a few minutes.
6. Use a fork to shred the cooked squash so it looks like spaghetti strands. Shred most of the squash from each half, but be sure to leave a thin layer of the squash in the skin to maintain the shape. Do not discard the two empty halves.
7. Place the shredded squash into a large bowl. Drizzle a bit of olive oil and stir to lightly coat the squash. Season with additional salt to taste. Add the cooked peas, bacon pieces, pepper and Parmesan cheese to the bowl. Mix well.
8. Fill the empty squash halves with the mixture. Top with the Mozzarella cheese.
9. Bake for additional 8-10 minutes, or until the cheese starts to melt.

Sheet Pan Gnocchi

Every so often, a fun and trendy recipe will pop up and will grab my attention. Not only do I get caught up in the creative ingredients, steps and its beautiful imagery, I also get caught up in thinking about how I can tweak the recipe into my own unique version. This most recently happened when I came across a recipe for Sheet Pan Gnocchi in Bon Apetit magazine. This is an incredibly easy recipe that only requires you to bake the seasoned ingredients (onions, tomatoes, garlic and gnocchi) on a sheet pan for 25-30 minutes. Yes, even the gnocchi! Their version also has you tossing in fresh arugula and shaved Parmesan after the baking is done to make for a very creative and interesting pasta dish (you can view the original recipe by clicking here).

I absolutely love gnocchi, and will jump at the chance to do something fun and creative with it. The description of the gnocchi itself (crispy and caramelized on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside) had me sold on wanting to try this recipe. While the addition of the arugula did sound intriguing, it also got me thinking that my baked ratatouille would also work very well with this recipe. Instead of the onion and arugula, my version would include chopped cherry tomatoes, zucchini and yellow squash, seasoned and mixed with the gnocchi. To add some additional flavor and ‘oomph’, I also added chopped pre-cooked chicken sausage.

Not only did this dish taste amazing, it has also become part of our regular rotation. Ten minutes of prep, 25-30 minutes in the oven, and boom! A perfect week day (or any day) pasta dish! Before I share the recipe, there are a couple of things that I would like to review:

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 zucchini, diced
1 yellow squash, diced
1 16 ounce package shelf-stable or refrigerated gnocchi
1 12 ounce package pre-cooked chicken sausage, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1-1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
ground black pepper
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees. Mix together 1/3 cup olive oil, garlic, Italian seasoning, kosher salt and ground black pepper. In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, gnocchi and sausage. Toss with olive oil mixture until well coated. Add additional olive oil if necessary to coat, without having the ingredients soaking in oil.

Pour the ingredients on a rimmed baking sheet. Place on middle rack, bake for 25-30 minutes, stirring once. Remove from oven once gnocchi turn golden and start to crisp. Transfer the baked ingredients to a serving bowl. Mix with Parmesan cheese and additional olive oil if necessary. Serve and enjoy!

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Apple Bacon Arancini

Featured in the Winter 2021 Food/Family/Traditions issue of RowHome Magazine

Risotto has always been a favorite dish in our home. Arancini (which is a recipe that incorporates risotto rolled into a ball, stuffed with various ingredients, then breaded and fried) has become one of our new favorite dishes to make as of late. Unlike risotto, which involves a lot of patience and stirring…stirring…and more stirring…this recipe is not quite as hands on throughout the entire cooking process. You allow the arborio rice to simmer in broth for a good 20-25 minus with just an occasional stir of the pot. There are also various steps, like shaping the risotto into balls and rolling them in breadcrumbs, that allow us to each take part in the preparation without being in each other’s way. And unlike traditional arancini recipes, where you would stuff the rice ball with ingredients such as cheese, peas or even shrimp, I prefer mixing all of the ingredients into the cooked rice before rolling the rice into balls. This method allows you to get a taste of all the ingredients in every bite instead of waiting until you get to the center of the arancini. Not only do my daughters and I enjoy spending the quality time together making this dish, it is also a meal that we enjoy for special occasions, such as birthday and holiday dinners.

To give this recipe a bit more flavor, I’ve added bacon pieces, apples and sage to the ingredients. For a more traditional arancini, you can leave these ingredients out of the mix, while adding 1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt the boiling broth.

Apple Bacon Arancini

2 Granny Smith or Golden Delicious apples, peeled and diced into small pieces
4 strips thick-cut bacon
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup arborio rice
1 cup shredded Italian blend cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh sage
Dash of allspice
1-1/2 cups breadcrumbs
Vegetable oil, for frying

Place the bacon in a medium sauce pan and cook over medium heat, flipping until crispy and done. Remove the bacon from pan and place on a paper towel covered plate. Break the bacon strips into small pieces and set aside. Drain and discard the oil from the pan. 

Add the broth to the pan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir in the rice, reduce the heat to low and simmer until tender, about 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Spread the rice on a parchment-lined baking sheet and let cool completely.

Combine the cooled rice, bacon pieces, diced apples, shredded cheese, parmesan cheese, eggs, parsley, sage, allspice and one cup of breadcrumbs. Mix well and shape the mixture into 1-1/2 inch balls. You should get about 20 or so out of the mixture.

Pour the remaining breadcrumbs into a bowl. Roll the balls in the breadcrumbs and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Loosely cover and refrigerate for at least one hour. You can refrigerate overnight.

Heat 1/2 inch vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350 degrees F. Fry the rice balls in small batches of 6 to 8 at a time, turning, until golden brown on all sides. Carefully remove the fried balls with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Serve and enjoy!