Clam Sauce

Total Time: 15 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 2 (6 ounce) cans chopped clams
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 3 fresh garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley ("italian")
• 1 tablespoon wine

Recipe

• 1 drain the clams, reserving both the clams and the juice.
• 2 place olive oil in a medium saucepan. add the garlic, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.
• 3 heat over low heat until the garlic begins to sizzle. let it sizzle for a minute or so, but don't let it brown.
• 4 carefully add the reserved juice from the clams, the butter, the water and the wine.
• 5 turn up the heat a bit and bring this to a boil.
• 6 (you can stop at this point and turn it off until just before you're ready to serve it. if you do this, bring it back to a boil, then continue.).
• 7 turn the heat down until the boiling subsides, then add the reserved clams, the basil and the parsley.
• 8 stir, cover and turn off the heat. it is now ready to use.
• 9 this makes enough for a pound of pasta. most folks use linguine, but my family prefers vermicelli or angel hair. if you're a purist, you won't add cheese, but i really like a good shake of parmesan over this.
• 10 buon appetito!
• 11 [for a totally different, but delicious dish, use tuna instead of clams. follow the same directions.].