Admittedly I had it particularly easy because the fishmonger we use here on the Cape sells fresh clams daily -- shucked, chopped and preserved in salt water -- but, even if you have to clean the clams yourself, this is still a winning, easy recipe. You could just add the clams as they come in the shell, at the last minute and have them open in the sauce, but this would mean that you would not be able to enjoy the meatiness and texture that an entire pound of shucked fresh clam meat adds to this dish.
Were I you, I would double the tomato sauce recipe, and freeze it for future use. I ate about a cup of it on its own as I was putting the dish together. I also made the sauce early in the day and let it rest as I always feel that tomato sauce -- like stew -- benefits from a little rest before being eaten.
1 pound of cleaned and chopped clam meat (big chunks work best)
1 can whole San Marzano tomatoes in sauce
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 white onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely diced
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 bay leaf
2 Tbsps dry white wine
1/4 cup + 1/4 cup chopped basil leaves + a tablespoon or so more for garnish
3 anchovies
1 tsp fish sauce (or 1/2 tsp of Worcestershire sauce) for added umami
1 Tbsp + 1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
1 packet dried spaghetti or linguini
Red pepper flakes to taste
Salt to taste
Heat one tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet. Add 3 cloves of the garlic, the onion, the carrot, the thyme, the bay leaf and some salt. Cook over low heat for a couple of minutes, stirring often, until the onions are translucent, the carrot pieces are starting to soften, and the garlic smells amazing.
Add the wine and cook for an additional couple of minutes, stirring up from the bottom in order to scrape up anything that may have browned on the bottom of the pan.
Tip in the can of tomatoes, sauce and all, crushing the whole tomatoes between your fingers as you do and breaking them into small pieces. Stir in a quarter cup of the basil.
Allow to bubble away gently for 15 minutes and then remove from the heat and cover until needed. That is your base sauce, which is delicious on its own.
When you are ready to eat, prepare the spaghetti for one minute less than indicated on the package and set aside 1/3 cup of the pasta water before draining it.
While the pasta is cooking, finish the sauce.
Heat the remaining oil in a pan along with the remaining clove of garlic and the anchovies. Cook for a minute or so, pressing down on the anchovy fillets in order to turn them into a paste.
Tip in the tomato sauce and add the remaining quarter cup of basil. Stir to combine. Taste for salt and add the red pepper flakes. Heat until bubbling.
Right before you drain the pasta, add the clams to the sauce in order to cook them. This will only take 30 seconds or so. Stir in the butter, a tablespoon or so of the pasta water, and the fish sauce and add the pasta to the pan.
Using tongs, mix the sauce with the pasta, distributing the clams as evenly as possible throughout. If the sauce is too thick, add some of the remaining reserved pasta water.
Serve garnished with some chopped basil. Opinion is divided as to whether or not grated Parmesan should be added so I leave that up to you.
Inspiration recipe, here.
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