1.304 Fettuccine in Canned Clam Sauce with Mushrooms and Bacon (with recipe)

1.304

5 (Fri) November 2010

Fettuccine in Canned Clam Sauce with Mushrooms and Bacon

3.0

by me

at home

-Oksu, Seongdong, Seoul, Korea-

solo

Fettuccine is a type of Italian pasta. Flat, thickish long noodles, somewhere between linguine and tagliatelle. The name means “little ribbons.” Most commonly served with heavier meat sauces.

This is the cheapest, simplest, quickest, most convenient, most adaptable – and tastiest – pasta dish in my repertoire. It’s completely different than pasta alle vongole, which involves fresh clams, but just as good in its own way.

During college, I probably made this more than anything else.

RECIPE

fullsizeoutput_9e50 — I have always made this dish with this product, which has a distinct chewiness to the clams and creaminess to the clam juice.

200 grams long pasta (linguine or spaghetti) (NOTE: 150 grams of pasta is a healthy single serving for a hungry man; the amount of sauce that results from this recipe is a bit too much for one person, but not quite enough for two, unless the pasta accompanies other dishes)
1 can (6.5 oz / 185 grams) Gordon’s Bumble Bee chopped clams
50 grams (about 1/2 medium) onion
2 cloves garlic
1/8 tsp (a big pinch) dried oregano
1/4 tsp black pepper
salt to taste
2 TB extra virgin olive oil
1 TB butter

1. In a large pot, bring about 6 cups of water to the boil, add a generous handful of salt, add the pasta, stir to prevent clumping, and cook until al dente.

2. Meanwhile, mince the onions and garlic.

fullsizeoutput_9e52 — To simplify the recipe to pantry basics, fresh parsley becomes optional, but it’s highly recommended if available.

3. Drain the clams, set aside the clam juice.

4. In a skillet over low-medium heat, add the oil and sauté the onions + garlic + oregano for about 2 minutes.

5. Add the clams + black pepper, stir, and cook for 2 minutes (TIP: other ingredients can be added at this point, such as mushrooms, corn, zucchini).

6. Add the clam juice, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 4 minutes.

7. Turn off the heat, stir in the butter.

8. When the pasta is done, reserve 1/4 cup of the cooking water, and drain the pasta.

9. Add the cooking water and pasta to the sauce, toss, season to taste (NOTE: the clams and clam juice are already quite salty; the amount of additional salt needed will depend on the saltiness of the cooking water, whether salted butter was used, and of course personal preference).