Gnocchi with clams and beans is a truly delicious first course, combining the delicate taste of the sea with the richness of the land, creating a perfect balance of flavors. This dish, though relatively quick to prepare, offers a combination of fresh and hearty ingredients, making it ideal as a main dish for a special lunch or dinner.
CLAMS season: from September to May, when they are tastier and safer to eat. It’s better to avoid them in the summer months (June-August) to reduce the risk of food poisoning.
SEAFOOD first course RECIPES
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 25 Minutes
- Portions: 2 People
- Cooking methods: Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
- Energy 410.92 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 47.16 (g) of which sugars 2.92 (g)
- Proteins 20.66 (g)
- Fat 14.30 (g) of which saturated 5.74 (g)of which unsaturated 2.87 (g)
- Fibers 11.41 (g)
- Sodium 811.28 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 350 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Gnocchi with Clams and Beans
- 18 oz clams (lupine, veraci or arselle or mussels)
- 1 cup cooked beans (borlotti, cannellini or chickpeas)
- 2 cups potato gnocchi (chicche or fresh orecchiette)
- to taste aquafaba (the water from the beans or simple water)
- to taste fresh chili pepper (or dried)
- 1 drizzle extra virgin olive oil
Tools
- Pan steel 11 inches
- Lid
Gnocchi with Clams and Beans
Immerse the clams in a bowl with cold water and a bit of coarse salt (the salt helps to simulate the marine environment and stimulates the clams to purge the sand inside them). It is advisable to leave them soaking for at least half an hour, so they can expel all the sand residues. After letting them purge, it’s important to rinse them under running water to remove any remaining impurities. Finally, check each clam carefully and discard any broken ones and those that do not close when touched, as they may not be fresh.
Pour the purged clams into a wide steel pan with chili pepper (and/or garlic), oil, and a bit of water.
Cover and cook over medium heat, shaking occasionally, until they open.
Shell them partially, and if necessary, filter the cooking water (if the purging was done properly, it will be sand-free).
Add the cooked beans to the clams with some of their preserving or cooking water (the so-called aquafaba).
Then, add the potato gnocchi (the chicchette or alternatively some fresh orecchiette).
Cook the gnocchi according to the times indicated on the package, adding, if necessary, more legume water or increasing the heat to dry. Once cooking is finished, add a drizzle of raw extra virgin olive oil and serve hot.
STORE gnocchi with clams and beans
It’s best to eat these gnocchetti immediately, when they are still hot and the flavor combination is perfect.
If not possible, they can be stored in the refrigerator for one day, but the freshness of the clams might decrease. Gently reheat in a pot, adding a little water.
