After a late winter storm that dumped about a foot of snow on my garden, my parsley plant survived another year and is now going strong and loving all the sunlight we have been getting. I love the mild flavor of parsley and it is particularly good in this simple and quick dish featuring clams.
I bought about 5 pounds of live Manila clams from Costco this week and this is one thing that I made with them. The clams cost $10 and I made two meals with them, so they ended up being about $5 per meal, which is pretty affordable for a lean source of protein.
Clams are rich in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, as well as minerals like iron, zinc, selenium, and magnesium and vitamins B12 and C, making them a great protein to add to your dinner table. Manila clams are pretty versatile and great when steamed, poached, baked, or sauteed. They are the most highly cultivated clams in the world, and are sustainably grown throughout the Pacific Northwest.
Before using, I gave them all a good rinse, rubbed any dirt off the surface (there wasn’t much), and tossed out any clams that were broken (there were a few). Manila clams don’t typically need to be soaked before using so the the prep work is minimal.
The amazingly delicious steamer sauce is really quite easy to throw together on a weeknight. The most time consuming part of the process is actually just washing and picking through the clams, but even that takes just a few minutes.
Butter, white wine, garlic, and lemon juice is all that is needed here. Once it’s all in the pot and boiling, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the clams are open. Remove any shells that did not open.
Topping the dish with a generous amount of parsley and a few squeezes of lemon juice finishes it off. I like to serve it with more lemon wedges at the table for serving.
I cooked about 8 ounces of pasta (whole-grain would be best) and put it in a large serving bowl and topped with the clam and the juices from the pan. Sprinkle it with parsley and you are ready to dig in.
I served this with roasted asparagus and sauteed spinach, but a salad would be good too. We had some leftover crusty sandwich rolls that I broiled and served alongside for sopping up all the juices. Super easy and super delicious.
Try it and let me know what you think!
Butter-Garlic Steamed Clam Spaghetti
While fresh garlic tends to taste the best, you can always substitute minced jarred garlic instead to speed things up. Dry white wine is the best option here, but I had a bottle of sweet moscato wine and it turned out just fine too, so go with what you have and it will be just delicious.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces spaghetti
- 4 tablespoons butter. divided
- 1 1/2 tablespoons garlic
- 1 cup white wine
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 3 pounds clams, rinsed and scrubbed of dirt
- 1 large lemon, cut into wedges
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
Directions
- Step 1 Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Lightly salt (if desired) and cook the noodles until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Step 2 In a large saute pan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, until fragrant.
- Step 3 Pour in the wine and lemon juice and bring to a simmer. Add the clams, cover and steam for 6 to 8 minutes, until the clams open.
- Step 4 Serve the clams in their juices over the pasta. Top with parsley and garnish with lemon wedges to serve.
