Meals a la Mom (me): Numero Due

I’m on a quest to create 5 Meals a la Mom (me) that my kids will grow up with, (hopefully) love and want to pass on to their littles. I’ve got my (or the Barefoot Contessa’s slightly revised) Chicken Picatta in the bag and this is my official 2nd recipe. Tried and true, I’ve been making this one for a few years now. I hadn’t had it in over year since I was off the shellfish while prego and nursing- so happy to be back in clams. This recipe is super easy and molto delicioso! Courtesy of the 2 Frankies from Frankies Spuntino in Brooklyn, if you enjoy pasta and clams, you’ll love this one. I amended it a bit here and there and add a splash of white wine in the pan while steaming the clams. The most fun part is seeing the little clams open up. It always looks like they’re flashing you a big grin- this is the part I think the kiddos will love.

How You Make It:

1.  Cook the tagliatelle until al dente in a large pot of boiling and generously salted water. Drain well.

2.  Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large and deep skillet. Add the chopped garlic and crushed red pepper. Cook over medium to high heat while stirring until the garlic is lightly browned- 1 to 2 minutes. Add the clams, water and wine. Cover and simmer until the clams open and are just cooked through- 5 to 8 minutes. Discard any clams that don’t open.

3.  Add the drained tagliatelle and parsley to the clams in the skillet. Generously season with pepper. Toss over medium to high heat just until the spaghetti absorbs the juices- 1 minute.

4.  Serve pasta with clams in bowls right away.

5.  Voila and Cin Cin!

We drank an Alsatian white with this dish mostly because it was staring at me and I couldn’t wait any longer to try it. Not the best pairing- too steely for the clams. I recommend pairing with something a bit heavier, like a Sicilian white. Planeta’s La Segreta Bianco 2011 IGT pairs perfectly with this dish. Always a crowd pleaser and at a great price (around 12 bucks), this is one of my go to wines.

For a perfect pairing:

Smiley, Happy Clams! This is my favorite part:

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