Angel Hair with Spicy Red Clam Sauce

Sunday morning came so quickly. I knew I had to be at church to teach in the kids class, and after hitting the snooze button WAY too many times, I realized I had to get up and get going. We rushed around the house trying to get ready, throwing clothes to and fro, trying to find pairs of matching socks and long sleeved shirts to wear. Finally, we were out the door...20 minutes late, but on our way! Church was great, and as I drove home, I began to think about what I could make for lunch. I won't deny, I was tempted to just run through somewhere and grab a quick bite to bring home...but I had to remind myself that it would be more cost effective and healthy if I made something at home. So, I half reluctantly, drove home thinking about what to make for lunch. When I got home, I went to my favorite cookbook...the one that has never let me down...Giada's Family Dinners. I have never once been disappointed by any of the recipes, so I knew I could trust on Giada to help me figure out a quick and easy yet flavorful lunch. My husband loves clams and I knew there was a pasta dish somewhere in the book with clams, so I thumbed through the pages until I came across the dish. It looked fantastic and my mouth was already watering just reading the ingredients. I had to get cooking!!
The recipe called for linguine, but I knew all I had was angel hair and spaghetti noodles in my pantry. I decided to opt for the angel hair and then continued down the list of ingredients. Onion, check. Garlic, check. Clams, check. And so the list goes. The onions and garlic smelled heavenly as they began  to saute in the olive oil. I followed the recipe, adding a dash of this and a dollop of that until...voila!! A tasty masterpiece I like to call Angel Hair Pasta with Spicy Red Clam Sauce (derived from Linguine with Spicy Red Clam Sauce: Giada's Family Dinners) I plated the dish, and grated some fresh parmesan on top. Perfecto!! The dish was out of this world delish! From start to finish, it was maybe 30 minutes tops. I modified the recipe to half the servings for less time and less waste. We still had tons of leftovers, and let me tell you...it was just as tasty the next day, reheated with some fresh grated parmesan on top. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did...

Happy Cooking!

Angel Hair with Spicy Red Clam Sauce
(derived from the recipe: Linguine with Spicy Red Clam Sauce; Giada's Family Dinners pg. 209)
*this recipe is 6-8 servings, but you can cut it in half like I did and it will take half the time with less waste*

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 onion finely chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp dried oregeno
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
3 (14 1/2 oz) cans diced tomatoes in juice
2 cups bottled clam juice
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
4 lbs small manila clams ( I used the boxed, frozen steamer clams from Trader Joe's...2 boxes would be equivalent to 4lbs)
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 1/2 lbs dried linguine (you can substitute with Angel Hair (Capellini)  or Spaghetti as well)
Freshly ground black pepper

Heat olive oil in a very large pt over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Saute until onion is tender. Add the tomatoes with their juice, clam juice and wine. Bring to boil over high heat. Decrease heat to medium and simmer uncovered until liquid reduces by one third, about 15-18 minutes. Add the clams, cover, and simmer over med-high heat, stirring occasionally, just until the clams open. (Discard any clams that do not open) Remove pot from heat. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the clams to a large bowl and cover to keep warm. Stir the parsley and butter into the pot.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta to a liberally salted pot of water. Cook pasta, stirring frequently to prevent pasta from sticking together, until it is tender but still firm to the bite...al dente. Drain. Add clams back to the sauce. Add noodles to the sauce and toss until the sauce thickens and coats the pasta. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer pasta to bowls and top with fresh grated parmesan cheese. (Parmigiano Reggiano)