PASTA WITH CLAMS, CORN, AND BASIL PESTO

Pasta with Clams, Corn, and Basil Pesto image

If you'd like to skip the pesto step, you can purchase pre-made pesto at the supermarket; you'll need about half a cup to make this dish. Other quick-cooking shellfish, such as mussels or medium shelled shrimp, can be substituted for the clams, but you might need an extra splash of pasta water to loosen the sauce.

Provided by Carla Lalli Music

Categories Dinner Seafood Shellfish Clam Pasta Basil Garlic Summer Quick & Easy Corn Soy Free Peanut Free Tree Nut Free

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 17

Ingredients

For the pesto:
1/2 garlic clove, finely grated
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano
1 cup packed fresh basil leaves (stems reserved)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
For the clams and pasta:
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 small shallots, thinly sliced
1/2 cup white wine
24 littleneck or Manila clams, scrubbed
12 ounces short tubular pasta, such as mezze rigatoni
2 cups corn kernels (from 3 to 4 ears)

Steps:

Make the pesto:
In a blender or food processor, combine garlic, Parmigiano, basil, and oil and blend until very smooth, scraping down sides as needed and adding a tablespoon or two of water if needed to get things moving. Add lemon zest and season with salt and pepper. Set pesto aside (you should have about 1/2 cup).
Cook the clams and pasta:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta and season it generously with salt. In a medium Dutch oven or large cast-iron skillet, heat butter and oil over medium-high heat. When butter is foaming, add garlic, shallots, and reserved basil stems and cook until mixture is fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add wine and bring to a simmer. Add clams, toss to coat, cover, and cook, checking and stirring every few minutes, until clams begin to open, 3 to 5 minutes. As clams open, transfer them with a slotted spoon to a medium bowl, but try to keep pot covered as much as possible. Fish out basil stems and keep pan sauce warm over very low heat. (If you want a shell-free dining experience, gently liberate clams from their shells and return them to bowl with a splash or two of pasta water over them so they don't dry out.)
Cook pasta until 1 or 2 minutes shy of al dente. Scoop 1 cup of pasta water into pan with clam sauce. Drain pasta and add to sauce along with half of the pesto. Add corn and bring mixture to a simmer. Cook, stirring, until liquid starts to thicken and pasta is al dente, about 2 minutes. Add clams and any accumulated liquid from bowl. Cook, stirring and tossing, until clams are warmed through, 2 minutes. Serve pasta and clams topped with more pesto.