SPAGHETTI WITH CHERRYSTONE CLAM SAUCE - SPAGHETTI MARE D'ESTATE

SPAGHETTI WITH CHERRYSTONE CLAM SAUCE - SPAGHETTI MARE D'ESTATE image

Yield 4

Number Of Ingredients 12

3-4 pounds of cherry stone clams
4 garlic cloves (recipe 2)
5 tablespoons of olive oil
1 small onion, peeled
16 fresh basil leaves or to taste (8 recipe)
1 teaspoon salt
freshly ground pepper
14 ounces of spaghetti
3 tablesppoons of chopped parsley
14 ounce can petite tomatoe(recipe 1 pound fresh ripe tomatoes)
Red pepper flakes
3/4 cup white wine

Steps:

In a pan large enough to contain the clams saute in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil 1 garlic clove until golden. Add the clams and white wine, raise the heat, cover the pan, and cook about 3 minutes or until the clam shells are open, stirring a couple of times. Remove the pan from the heat, and let cool. Mince together the onion, basil, and remaining garlic clove,red pepper flakes and place in the remaining olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Saute until barely golden and limp. Add the canned tomatoes or if using fresh tomatoes wash, and pass them through food mill directly into the saute pan. Add salt to taste (recipe 1 tsp.) and a generous sprinkling of pepper. stir, bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the clams from their shells, directly over the pan they were cooked in, to conserve all the natural juices. Set aside the clams, and strain the juices with the first garlic clove into a cup. Add 1/2 cup of the clalm juice to the tomato sauce. Add the clams, and cook another 5 minutes. Cook the spaghetti in boiling water salted with 4 teapsoons salt (recipe 5 tsp). When the pasta is al dente, drain thoroughly and place in a serving sish. Dress with the sauce, and sprinkle with the minced parsley. Toss and serve.