Spaghetti with Red Clam Sauce - One of my "Go To" Favorites
There are certain recipes all cooks have that form the base of their culinary repertoire. These are recipes that are fast and easy, that they can create from memory, with no notes, in any kitchen, for any group, any time of the year. Some Chefs refer to these as their "go to" dishes. This red clam sauce is one of my "go to" recipes.
It's incredible simple to make (much easier than saying "canned clams" as you'll hear in this clips running gag). It takes about 15 minutes start to finish. It's bursting with flavor, yet only uses a few ingredients and except for crushing a couple cloves of garlic, requires no prep. This sauce is great on any pasta, but I enjoy it best on angle hair or spaghetti. 
And, yes, I DO put some Parmesan on my clam pasta, thank you very much. Never say never when it comes to food. Some Chefs (fascists) say you can never put cheese on seafood pasta, never, ever, never. Well, while I agree that Parmesan would not be a great choice on some seafood pastas using very light, delicate varieties of fish and sauce. On this red clam sauce and its strong, bold flavors and meaty clams, the Parmesan tastes wonderful, and no one can prove me otherwise.
2 cans (6.5 oz) chopped clams in juice
3 cups tomato sauce (plus 1/4 cup water to rinse jar)
1 cup good white wine
1 tbl anchovy paste or 2 fillets
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tbl capers
2 tbl olive oil
Parmesan to taste
salt and pepper to taste
fresh herb to taste, basil or Italian parsley
44 comments:
Hey! I got a little happy "thrill" when you added that cheese to that clam sauce.
Last time I was in Italy a very snooty british born waitress in a very so-so restaurant barked at me re:the no cheese thing right at the moment I ordered linguini with clam sauce. The weird thing about it was I hadn't even ASKED for cheese. Sheeeesh!
Now I make sure I add cheese to all things seafood+italian because it makes me laugh!
These poeple must be stopped. They are the same people telling me I can't wear white pants after Labor Day!
Don't you mean white shoes?
In the last frames of the demonstration video, the spaghetti looked saucier than when you closed the lid to let the pasta & sauce settle. Did you reserve some sauce to add when serving or?
Yeah, those too!
No, Thats the secret, as it sits and "rests" for a few minutes covered, the slightly undercooked pasta sucks up the sauce and flavors and when you add that little bit of cheese at the end it all comes together. So it will look "saucy" when you first pour in the sauce, but by the time you serve its perfect.
Finishing work late tonight so won't have time for anything fancy, that's going to do the trick!
mmm - yum, one of my favorite dishes, will try it soon. How's about a white clam sauce there Chef? Cheers
You know there was another chef that said it was okay to put cheese on seafood pasta. And his name was Jacque Pipan ( I forgot how to spell his name). So one day on his show he said his wife and him were out eating , the wife orders a seafood pasta dish, and asks for some cheese, the chef got so mad that he came out and said "which one of you wanted the cheese?!"The wife was scared and said he did. The Chef then said it was ok. (lol)
I believe you'll find one posted back in March. I should put a link on this recipe, in case people are looking for a butterfat fix.
I always put Italian cheese when I cook pasta with tuna which is my "Go To" favorite :) Tastes just great; hey maybe I should try your dish but with tuna instead... I don't think it's a good idea to pour the tuna oil from the can to the sauce though; the tuna I use is of John West and in Brine...
Chef John,
Thank you for another great recipe! What type of tomato sauce did you use? Would canned tomatos work, or even fresh blended peeled tomatoes? thanks again...
I used Barilla Tomato Basil. Thats my favorite jarred sauce. Canned tomatoes would work, but need to be seeded and seasoned and cooked, etc. Thats why I cheated. Fresh tomatoes also are fine as long as you adjust the seasoning. Obviously the Barilla sauce im using (hey, Barilla hit the donation button!!) is already seasoned with salt, pepper, etc.
Great :) What a fast response!Can´t wait to try the recipe. Thanks again..
This dish is perfect as an "emergency" dish to have in the kitchen. All the ingredients preserve well, so it would be great to put on in a pinch. Here is my question though, like in your white clam dish, could you substitute anchovie fillets instead of the tube? (Which I wouldn't even know where to look for!)
yes, 2 fillet are fine, I actually had that in the ingredients.
in this recipe that is
You've done it again! Easy, informative, informal, and delicious.
Question : For your white clam sauce you used Flotts clams. But for this you used Snows clams (I know, I know, I sound like a FoodWishes PHD). I'm thinking it's whatever clams you have available to you. Any noticable difference between the two brands? It's much more costly (that's if you can even get them) for fresh, but money aside is fresh just not worth it?
Also, looks like you were leaning towards a Putanesca. Any thoughts?
Scott - Boston
The main dif is Flotts are small whole baby clams, and the Snows are large sea clams chopped into small pieces. I like them both, but use the Flotts when I can get them. As far fresh, I personally wouldnt use those for anything except a quick steam and some lemon butter! In this dish, why waste them.
Yes, the classic "Putanesca" base of flavors work for almost any red sauce IMO. The smell of garlic, anchovy, caper and red pepper frying in olive oil is intoxicating.
And, if you don't get it at home, then you have to go out and pay for it. ;) <- Putanesca joke
Indeed- a sprinkling of cheese on clams and pasta is great.
Chef John -
Just discovered your site via the Spaghetti with Red Clam Sauce picture on Tastespotting.
I had a dish similar to this at a local, family-run Italian restaurant and have wanted to recreate it for myself for ages. I frequently have cravings for something "tomatoey, spicey and seafoody" (yes- that's what I call it when I'm trying to describe to my husband what I want for dinner.)
This SO hit my craving spot on. I've never even THOUGHT about making a dish that contained clams or anchovy paste before, so this was a new experience for me - and a yummy one at that.
P.S. Hubby and I will load up on the Parmesan, too. GOOD CALL! THANKS.
-LAQ
I made this for dinner last night. It was amazing. I think I have a new favorite spaghetti dish. Thanks Chef!
Perfect dish! Good ingredients, healthy food. I am from Italy and also I put parmiggiano on seafood-pasta-dishes. No waiters or chef never treatened me (so far). But there is always someone commenting: "non ci va il formaggio sul pesce!". What can you do?
Thank you. Very nice. Cheap, quick, convenient, delicious. Almost every ingredient comes out of your cupboard. I won't forget this dish.
wow something like this is "to go" wow,lol.
I made this tonight. It was transcendental. I mean that in a good way not in the whole "Maharashi Yogi screwed over the Beatles" kind of way.
thanks! where's my sitar?
Where do you buy anchovy paste?
I have some salted anchovies. Can I use them in stead?
sure those are even better, i get it at whole foods.
What kind of tomato sauce do you use? It looks homemade. I saw your recipe for pizza sauce, but I didn't see one for pasta sauce. the dish looks great by the way
I dont remember :( I usually use Barilla brand
Dear Mr. Chef John,
Yesterday i made your spaghetti tuna recipe and today i made the spaghetti red clam and I enjoyed both very much. One problem/question i had with the red clam sauce is that the red sauce came out very watery (because of the clam juice and 1 cup of win instead of no tuna juice and half cup wine in the red tuna sauce) Anyway i had to simmer the clam sauce a lot longer and simmer even some more after the sauce was poured over the pasta. I really like the thickness of the red tuna sauce but this sauce was too watery. what do you suggest for the future? should i only use one can of clam juice or no clam juice or is it essential for this recipe? also have you ever used the tuna juice in the red tuna sauce?
thank you very much!
im sorry, but Im not 100% clear on your question, but I don't use the tuna juice. If I want a sauce thicker, I always boil it to reduce. This works unless it's something that's salty.
Chef, how come you never use basil for your tomato sauce pasta? being new to cooking, I always think that Italian tomato sauce is best friend with basil.
I do many times, but I guess I havent caught it on film yet! I also have lots of fresh thyme and oregano in my yard. But, yes, basil and tomato always a great couple.
So, if I follow this recipe down to the quarter teaspoon, how many servings will it make?
about 4 good servings
Can I use live clams?
Chef John,
Do you use the "chopped" or "minced" type of clams? It looked like chopped to me. I've made chowder with the minced kind, and some is a bit gritty.
they are chopped
Hey Chef,
How would canned salmon sound as a substitute for clams? We have a few of these cans left and I'd love to put them to use if they go well in this dish. Let me know your thoughts.
not a big fan of salmon and tomato sauce, personally.
Tuna, maybe?
yes!
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