weeknight vongole

20-minute trip to Italy

Last month we added a new protein to the WTC repetoire: lamb. And today, we’re cooking another first: CLAMS!

Linguine vongole (AKA linguine with clam sauce, AKA heaven in a bowl) is one of my all-time favorite dishes. Any time I see it on a menu, that’s my order. Briny clams, a rich garlicky olive oil sauce, pasta. What’s not to love!

As much as I love it though, fresh clams aren’t what I’m reaching for on a busy night when I don’t feel like cooking. They’re not hard to work with. In fact, fresh clams (or mussels) steamed in a simple broth of white wine and butter and served with a big crusty loaf for dipping in said broth is one of my very favorite dishes to cook (and eat) when entertaining. It always wows people and is really quite easy to pull off.

But it does take time. Before you cook them, you have to rinse and scrub the clams clean then soak them in cold water for 20 minutes to let them “spit out” any sand or grit they may be housing.

Fortunately, there’s a workaround for when I’m craving that sweet, salty, briny bite of clam but don’t have the time to f with — or don’t have easy access to — fresh clams: canned clams.

If you think canned clams sound gross, let me ask you: do you eat canned tuna? Same thing! Get over it! They're wonderful, and they let you make a linguine vongole in 20 minutes flat.

This pasta dish tastes like clam pizza meets spaghetti aglio e olio (AKA spaghetti with garlic and oil). Put simply, it’s a weeknight vongole. The only cooking required is boiling a box of spaghetti, so if you can boil water, you, or your partner, or WHOEVER, can make this meal.

While the noodles are boiling, you’ll stir a can of clams and their salty, briny juices together with EVOO, lemon juice and zest, garlic and red pepper flakes for a kick, and Pecorino cheese to double down on the salty bite. When the noodles are tender, you’ll drain them quickly, mix them up with the dressing, add some butter and fresh parsley, and voilà!

It’s the perfect summer meal. You can mix up the clam sauce at any point during the day then just boil the pasta and add it to the sauce right before you eat. To stretch it out to serve more people, just add a big salad (like the greatest kale salad, minus the chicken fingers) and some garlic bread.

I’m allergic to shellfish

Make spaghetti aglio e olio instead! To do so, omit the clams, up the EVOO to 1/2 cup, and add a few more minced garlic cloves — I’d use 3 or 4. Otherwise, follow the recipe as written. Another option for when tomatoes are in peak season: sunshine pasta!

Pecorino cheese tastes similar to Parmigiano Reggiano, but it’s a bit creamier and saltier, and offers a bit of a tang. It’s also made from sheep’s milk instead of cow’s. If instead you want to use up a block of Parm you have in the fridge, go for it! Just season with a pinch more kosher salt at the end, if needed.

Also, I’ve mentioned this before but now is a good time to remind you: when you’re cooking with a few simple ingredients like we are here, the quality of those ingredients matters! Now’s a good time to use your high-quality EVOO and to invest in a block of high-quality Pecorino (don’t use store-bought pre-grated cheese!).

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weeknight vongole

Serves 4 to 6

Cook time: 20 minutes

Tools:

• Can opener

• Large mixing bowl (or large serving bowl if eating family style)

• Large pot

• Microplane or box grater

• Chef’s knife and cutting board (buy pre-minced fresh parsley to avoid dirtying these!)

• Colander