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!

Ziti with Lemon Herb Parmesan Sauce

I am very excited to share this recipe with you because it is one that my daughter Jules and I collaborated on from start to finish. Jules recently came across a recipe on TikTok (where else) that has you baking uncooked pasta and chicken broth in a baking dish until the pasta is done, then adding chopped herbs, lemon zest and juice, shredded and grated parmesan cheese and heavy cream, stirring it together until combined. This all sounds delicious, but like many other TikTok recipes, there were no measurements, no instructions, and I honestly don’t even know if pasta would cook properly in the oven.

This did, however, remind me of another recipe that I recently tried and absolutely loved. It was made by celebrity chef Geoffrey Zakarian on the tv show, The Kitchen. The main differences were that the pasta was boiled traditionally in salted water, and he used strained greek yogurt and crumbled feta in place of the heavy cream. The pasta water was reserved and when added to the ingredients, it made a beautiful lemony-herb cream sauce. The feta and greek yogurt kept the fat content down, and I have to say this recipe was so much better than that other pasta feta dish that everyone keeps raving about.

What Jules and I decided to do was to put measurements to the recipe that she found, but cook it in the style that Geoffrey Zakarian did, utilizing the salted pasta water to create a sauce. To stay as true to the recipe as possible, I did add a few teaspoons of low sodium chicken bouillon to the boiling salted water before adding the pasta. I don’t know if this step is absolutely necessary, as the starchy and salty pasta water will give you plenty of flavor when mixed with the other ingredients. That said, the bouillon does give additional flavor, and if you choose to do this, be sure to either use low sodium bouillon or cut back on the salt that you add to the water if you don’t have low sodium bouillon.

I also kept the heavy cream measurements to 1/3 cup. I’m not a huge fan of heavy cream sauces, but if you prefer you can add more to your liking.

The TikTok version used heaping scoops of both grated and shredded parmesan cheese. Of the two, I feel that the grated parmesan is the more necessary. Not only does it give the dish that nutty and bold parmesan taste, it also helps thicken up the sauce. The shredded parmesan will melt into the dish, similar to a shredded mozzarella. It will be more clumpy and less stringy than mozzarella, but it does make for a nice addition. We decided to use 1/2 cup of each, but I would definitely use at least 1/2 cup of the grated. We rounded off the dish with some fresh chopped mint, basil and parsley from the garden, and as a bonus we threw in a small jar of chopped artichoke hearts.

This is a very flavorful, filling and easy to make pasta dish that I highly recommend, especially for a quick weekday dinner that will be enjoyed by all!

Ziti with Lemon Herb Parmesan Sauce

1 box uncooked ziti (or your choice of pasta)
2 teaspoons (or two cubes) low sodium chicken bouillon (if low sodium is not an option, cut back on salt added to water)
2 cloves garlic, minced
zest plus juice of one lemon
1/3 cup heavy cream (you can add more if you desire a thicker sauce)
1/2 cup grated parmesan
1/2 cup shredded parmesan (optional, but suggested)
1/4 cup fresh chopped basil
1/4 cup fresh chopped mint
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
1 small jar chopped artichoke hearts (optional)
salt and pepper
1/2 cup reserved pasta water

Boil the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water (with the added bouillon) until the pasta is al dente, about 11 minutes. Stir occasionally. When the pasta is done, reserve about 1/2 cup or so of the pasta water. Drain the pasta (but do not rinse it) and pour it directly into a large serving bowl. Add the lemon zest and juice, garlic, heavy cream, grated parmesan cheese, chopped basil and mint, and artichoke hearts. Add 1/4 cup pasta water. Stir ingredients together, adding the additional pasta water if necessary (and to your liking). Add the shredded parmesan cheese, stir together. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper. Top with chopped parsley. Serve and enjoy!

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Vodka Cream Sauce

Vodka cream sauce is my favorite alternative to a traditional red pasta sauce…aka gravy! While it may be tempting to simply grab one of the jarred varieties available in your grocery store, making a home made vodka cream sauce is not all that complicated. You do need to dedicate a little bit of time to allow the flavors to marry, and allow the sauce to thicken to the perfect creamy consistency. If you are a regular follower of my food blog, you probably know by now that I focus on low-fat alternatives to rich and creamy foods as often as I can. Unfortunately, this is not one of those recipes. Butter and cream substitutes aren’t going to give you a true, rich and tasty vodka cream sauce. But hey, you have to enjoy life to the fullest once in a while…why not enjoy it with a yummy pasta dish?

You may be curious as to why vodka is used in this classic recipe. From what I’ve learned, its purpose is to help release additional flavors from the tomatoes which are normally not released during a traditional cooking process. This is the same reason why certain recipes call for the addition of wine or other alcohols. The vodka also acts as an emulsifier. The oil from the cream would typically separate when it interacts with the acidic tomatoes. The addition of the vodka helps to prevent this from happening.

You can build on the ingredients and taste if you like. For additional spice, try adding a bit of crushed red pepper. If you are really in a creative mood, add a can of crab meat and some cooked chopped asparagus. Whatever way you choose to enjoy this recipe, I guarantee it will put a smile on your face.

 

Vodka Cream Sauce

Makes enough for 6-8 servings, with 1 lb of cooked pasta
Total cooking time: approximately 1 hour, 30 minutes

2 shallots, diced
1/2 cup butter
1 cup vodka
2 28-oz cans crushed tomatoes
1/2 pint heavy whipping cream
1 tbspn grated parmesan cheese
2 tbsp fresh chopped basil
*optional – 1 tspn sugar

Melt butter in a large skillet or pan over medium heat. Add shallots, sauté until soft. Add vodka, let cook for 10 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes and one tbspn of fresh chopped basil. Stir together. Lower heat to medium-low, let simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the heavy whipping cream and parmesan cheese. Stir together. Lower heat to medium-low, let simmer for another 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Give the sauce a taste. You can add a tspn of sugar to help sweeten it up a bit. Add the second tbsp of fresh chopped basil during the last 10 minutes of cooking. Serves well with penne, rigatoni or your choice of ravioli.

To make enough sauce for a half pound of pasta, simply cut the recipe in half. However, be sure to follow the same cooking time.

 

Pasta e Ceci (Pasta with Chickpeas)

With the cooler fall air rolling in, now is the time of year that I enjoy making soups and stews. This past weekend’s brisk weather was the perfect time for me to make a pot of Pasta e Ceci (pronounced as pasta & chichi), which is a cousin to the famous Pasta e Fagioli. Instead of using the traditional kidney or cannelloni beans, this recipe uses garbanzo beans, also known as chickpeas. Many pasta e ceci recipes use ingredients similar to other pasta and bean dishes, such as pancetta, fresh rosemary and thyme, and a mirepoix (sautéed carrots, celery and onions). My recipe is a bit abbreviated, but I promise you it does not lack in heartiness or rich flavor! My version of this dish can be prepped and served in just under an hour, which makes it a practical and comforting dish for any chilly weekend or weekday meal.

 

 

Pasta e Ceci

1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbspn olive oil
2 bay leaves
1 14oz can stewed tomatoes
1 16oz can garbanzo beans/chick peas, drained
1 32oz can/container of low sodium vegetable or chicken broth
1 tbspn grated parmesan cheese, plus additional for serving
1 cup short cut pasta, such as dilatini or elbow macaroni
salt and pepper

Heat oil over medium heat in a large pot. Add onion, stir to evenly coat. Let simmer until onions become soft and translucent. Add garlic, stir. Simmer for 30 seconds, until garlic becomes fragrant. Add stewed tomatoes and their juices, along with about 1/3 can of beans. Add bay leaves, stir together. Let simmer for about 5-7 minutes. Using a potato masher, rough-smash the tomatoes and beans, making a chunky broth. You can also use an emulsifier or remove the beans to puree them and add them back into the soup for a creamier texture, but I prefer to mash them along with the softened tomatoes. Add the remaining beans, along with 3 cups of the broth. The soup will thicken up as it cooks, so you can add the remaining broth as needed. Add 1tbspn grated parmesan, stir. Cover the pot, reduce heat to medium low and let simmer for about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add pasta, stir well. Again, the soup will thicken up as the beans and pasta cook and expand. You can slowly add more broth or water as needed, or to your liking. Heat another 5-10 minutes until pasta is cooked. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Serve with crusty bread. Top with additional grated or shaved parmesan cheese.