Ingredients
- 8 ounce whole wheat angel hair pasta
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
- 2 pound manila or littleneck clams, scrubbed
- 1/3 cup finely chopped shallots
- 6 cup garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 cup fresh or dried bay leaf (see kitchen note)
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 3 ounce fresh baby spinach (about 4 cups loosely packed)
- 4 ounce large radishes, cut into small matchstick-size strips (about 1/2 cup)
- 2 ounce scallions (white and green parts), thinly sliced on the diagonal
Preparation
Baking Directions:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.
Stir the pasta into the boiling water and cook, stirring often to keep the strands separated, for about 2 minutes, or until tender but still firm to the bite.
Scoop out and reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water.
Drain the pasta.
Meanwhile, heat a large heavy skillet over high heat.
Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, then add the clams and cook for 1 minute.
Stir in the shallots, garlic, lemon zest, bay leaf and red pepper flakes.
Add the wine, cover and cook for about 2 minutes, or until the clams open.
Using tongs, transfer the clams to a Iarge bowl, then cover to keep warm.
Simmer the clam-wine broth until it is reduced by about one-fourth, about 2 minutes (the pasta will absorb a lot of liquid, so don't reduce the liquid too much).
Stir in the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Reduce the heat to low.
Add the pasta to the skillet and toss to coat with the liquid.
Add the clams and any accumulated juices in the bowl to the pasta.
Add the spinach and half of the radishes and toss, adding enough of the reserved pasta water to make a light sauce.
Using tongs, divide the pasta and clams among four wide pasta bowls or place them in one large shallow serving bowl.
Pour in the broth.
Drizzle olive oil over each serving and sprinkle with the scallions and the remaining radishes.
Discard the lemon zest and bay leaf and serve immediately.
Tips:
Fresh bay leaves are more aromatic and flavorful than dried leaves.
Their flavor quickly infuses into a sauce, while dried bay leaves need to be in contact with liquid for a long time to coax out the flavor.
(Both kinds have their uses, so it isn’t a question of one being better than the other.)
If you buy fresh bay leaves for this dish, the leftover leaves can be frozen in a Ziploc plastic bag for up to a few months.
