Clams and mussels pasta
Makes
4
Level
Medium with a grown-up
Kids cook with a grown-up. Hot ovens, boiling water and frying are grown-up jobs, and sharp knives need a grown-up’s hands too.
Bella’s job
Bella sits next to Dad and tastes the finished pasta.
Ingredients
Olive oil: 1/4 cup, plus more to finish
Shallot: 1 large, minced
Garlic: 4 cloves, sliced
Red chili: 1 small, sliced
Tomato paste: 1 tablespoon
Dry white wine: 3/4 cup
Crushed tomatoes: one 14 oz can
Fresh parsley: 1/2 cup, chopped
Littleneck clams: 1 pound, scrubbed
Mussels: 1 pound, scrubbed and beards removed
Short tube pasta, like ziti or penne: 12 ounces, dry
Water: 3 cups, for cooking the pasta in the sauce
Salt: to taste
Method
Scrub the clams and mussels under cold water. Throw away any that are cracked or that stay open when tapped.
Heat the oil in a wide, deep pan. Cook the shallot, garlic and chili for 3 minutes until soft.
Add half the parsley and the tomato paste and stir for 1 minute.
Pour in the wine and simmer for 3 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the clams and mussels, cover the pan and steam 5 to 7 minutes, until the shells open.
Lift the shellfish out with tongs into a bowl. Throw away any that did not open. Pull the meat from about half of them and leave the rest in their shells.
Add the water and a pinch of salt to the sauce and bring it to a boil. Stir in the dry pasta.
Cook, stirring often, for 10 to 12 minutes until the pasta is al dente. Add a splash of water if the pan gets dry.
Stir the shellfish back in for 1 minute to warm through.
Serve with the rest of the parsley and a drizzle of olive oil.
