The recipe for linguine with clams and cherry tomatoes is certainly not new and, as a good Neapolitan, it can never be missing from the Christmas Eve feast.
However, this dish usually requires a lot of oil, making it very caloric, despite the fact that clams on their own are very light and have very few Weight Watchers points.
So how to make this dish lighter? First, I added some cherry tomatoes, increasing the volume of the dish without increasing the points, and instead of a lot of oil I used the clams’ cooking liquid, full of sea flavor, which seasoned the linguine perfectly.
Although I had doubts at first, I had to admit that the small amount of oil used was enough to dress the pasta and add lots of flavor: the final result was an excellent seafood dish, aromatic and also nourishing. It’s also very satisfying; in fact, for this recipe I used a bit more pasta than usual.
I also had an honored guest: a clam with its shell folded inward that, once opened, looked like a butterfly, as you’ll see later — what a treat! Enough chatter, let’s get to the recipe.
Other seafood first courses are here:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 2 Hours
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Cooking time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Healthy
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter and Spring, Christmas
Ingredients
- 2.2 lbs fresh clams
- 11 oz linguine (or classic spaghetti)
- 4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 2/3 cups cherry tomatoes in a jar (in summer it's better to use fresh cherry tomatoes)
- 2 tablespoons dry white wine
- 1 bunch fresh parsley
- to taste salt and pepper
- to taste chili pepper (optional)
- Points per serving = 10 WW points
Preparation
First of all, as soon as you get home after shopping, immediately soak the clams in cold salted water to remove any sand. Keep them in the water for at least 1-2 hours, changing the water a couple of times.
Drain the clams and put them over high heat in a large pot without adding water. Cover and let them cook for a few minutes, shaking the pot occasionally. Check if the clams have opened; if not, cook for a few more minutes.
Let them cool and then lift all the clams, filtering the cooking liquid either through a very fine sieve or, even better, through cheesecloth to remove any remaining sand and impurities. Discard empty shells and any clams that did not open.
In a large nonstick skillet, add the garlic and chili pepper, if you like, sliced together with the oil. Sauté slowly and as soon as the garlic is lightly golden add the clams and mix gently. Let the clams absorb flavor for a couple of minutes, then pour in the wine and let it evaporate over high heat.
When the wine has evaporated, add the filtered clams’ cooking liquid and the cherry tomatoes well drained from the preserving juice, crushing them with a spoon so they release their juices. If using fresh cherry tomatoes, add them halved.
Cover and cook over low heat until the sauce has slightly thickened. Taste and add salt only if necessary. At the end of cooking add part of the parsley roughly chopped.
While you prepare the sauce, cook the linguine or spaghetti in plenty of salted water. When the pasta is cooked, drain it and pour it directly into the skillet with the sauce. Add more parsley and a sprinkle of freshly ground pepper if desired.
Mix well and serve our linguine with clams and cherry tomatoes on a serving platter. What a wonderful dish!
Just add a green salad to maybe eat as a starter and you have a balanced and nutritious meal.
I prepare it every time I manage to find fresh clams here in the Netherlands, which doesn’t happen often, and every time we lick our lips!
Enjoy your meal everyone!
by Giovanna Buono
