When I was a little girl, my mother used to make spaghetti con vongole and it was one of my favorite pastas. I liked the way it tasted and I LOVED just saying the name! Here’s a version using fresh clams and curly cavatapi pasta.
Course:
Entrées
Cuisine:
Italian
Keyword:
One Pot Meal, Quick and Easy, Seafood, Pasta
Servings: 4
Calories: 475 kcal
Author: The Blue Jean Chef, Meredith Laurence
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4
pounds
about 50 fresh littleneck or Manila clams
-
2
tablespoons
olive oil
-
2
cloves
garlic
sliced
-
1/8 to ¼
teaspoon
pinch crushed red pepper flakes
-
1
cup
white wine
-
1
cup
chicken stock
-
8
ounces
cavatapi pasta
about 2 heaping cups
-
2
cups
halved cherry tomatoes
-
2
tablespoons
butter
-
½
lemon
zest and juice
-
salt and freshly ground black pepper
-
½
cup
chopped fresh parsley
-
extra virgin olive oil
-
Before you start cooking or prepping, soak the clams in tap water (room temperature). Let them soak while you prepare the rest of the recipe, or for at least 30 minutes. They will spit out sand. Then, pick the clams out of the water and give the shells a scrub under running water to remove any barnacles or dirt. Discard any clams that are open or have cracked shells.
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Add the olive oil, garlic and crushed red pepper flakes to the pressure cooker and then pre-heat the pressure cooker using the BROWN setting. Just before the garlic starts to turn brown on the edges, add the wine and stock. Stir in the pasta and tomatoes, and add the clams on top. Lock the lid in place.
-
Pressure cook on HIGH for 4 minutes.
-
Release the pressure using the QUICK-RELEASE method and carefully remove the lid. Remove the clams to a serving bowl with a big slotted spoon, discarding any clams that did not fully open. Add the butter and lemon juice to the pot and season the broth to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Discard any clams that have not fully opened and serve the pasta with the chopped parsley and lemon zest on top. Drizzle with olive oil and don’t forget to put a bowl on the table for everyone’s clamshells!
Give this pasta a little crunch by frying ½ cup coarse or panko breadcrumbs in 2 tablespoons of butter in a skillet over medium heat, seasoning with salt and pepper. Top the pasta with the crumbs at the end.
Nutrition Facts
Cavatapi con Vongole (Pasta with Clams)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 475
Calories from Fat 135
% Daily Value*
Fat 15g23%
Saturated Fat 5g25%
Cholesterol 37mg12%
Sodium 567mg24%
Potassium 486mg14%
Carbohydrates 54g18%
Fiber 3g12%
Sugar 5g6%
Protein 20g40%
Vitamin A 1430IU29%
Vitamin C 34.6mg42%
Calcium 69mg7%
Iron 3.2mg18%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.