I love pasta with steamed clams. Fennel, tomatoes, and tarragon make lovely additions, but feel free to improvise with whatever vegetables and fresh herbs you have on hand.
Ingredients
½ # Linguini
½ medium White Onion, diced
1 medium Carrot, diced
½ bulb Fennel, thinly sliced
1-2 cloves Garlic, minced
1 pint Grape or Cherry Tomatoes, halved
2 # small Clams, cleaned (*see notes)
¾ c. Dry White Wine
a few sprigs Fresh Tarragon
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Red Pepper Flakes
Instructions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta.
Heat 1-2 Tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat in a wide pot with a lid. Sauté the carrot and onion until slightly softened, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and a few pinches of red pepper flakes. Add the sliced fennel and continue to sauté until the fennel has softened slightly, 1-2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook for a minute or 2 until the tomatoes begin to release their juices.
At this point you should drop the pasta in the boiling water.
Add the clams and the white wine to the vegetables. Cover the pot and steam until the clams open.
Ideally, the pasta will be al dente just as the clams begin to open. Pull the pasta from the pot, let most of the water drip off, and transfer to the clam pot. Gently combine the pasta with the clams and vegetables. Season as necessary with additional salt, red pepper flakes, and black pepper. Remove from the heat and scatter in tarragon leaves. Divide between warm bowls and lightly drizzle with olive oil.
Notes
*As soon as I bring clams home I rub the clam shells against each other under cold running water to loosen any grit. Then I transfer them to a large bowl of ice water and place them in the refrigerator until I'm an hour away from starting to cooking. Most of the grit will sink to the bottom of the bowl. I then remove the clams, place them in a colander and rinse, and put them back in a fresh bowl of ice water and repeat the process once more.
Recipe by strawberryplum at http://www.strawberryplum.com/linguini-clams-with-fennel-tarragon/