Fresh Clam Pasta with Creamy White Basil Sauce and Crispy Prosciutto
Try this Fresh Clam Pasta with Creamy White Basil Sauce and Crispy Prosciutto recipe.
Try this Fresh Clam Pasta with Creamy White Basil Sauce and Crispy Prosciutto recipe.
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tablespoons butter
- olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh oregano chopped
- 1 cup white wine
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
- 3 ounces fresh prosciutto torn
- 8 cloves garlic peeled + smashed
- 2-4 dozen fresh clams (i used 2 dozen) rinsed well
- a few pinches of crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 pound angel hair pasta or your favorite long cut pasta
- 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese + more if desired ( but not really)
- 4 ounces fontina cheese finely chopped (optional, but again, not really)
- 1/4 cup fresh basil chopped + more for serving
- 1/3-1/2 cup heavy cream or whole milk
- Carbohydrate 1.48223924036652 g
- Cholesterol 32.091339535027 mg
- Fat 9.91188974736035 g
- Fiber 0.581666658592513 g
- Protein 5.16388652607499 g
- Saturated Fat 6.09607413727215 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (156g)
- Sodium 182.067060714039 mg
- Sugar 0.900572581774011 g
- Trans Fat 0.60089069534846 g
- Calories 121 calories
Step-by-step
- Place a large saute pan over medium heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil and once hot add the prosciutto. Let the prosciutto get nice and crispy, about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove and drain on paper towels.
- To the same skillet add in a drizzle more of olive oil. Toss in 4 cloves of garlic and cook over medium heat until fragrant and golden brown. Remove the garlic from the skillet (leaving the oil) and discard. The garlic will infuse the oil with flavor. To the same skillet add 2/3 of your clams, the white wine, water and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes. Cover the skillet and let the mixture simmer for about 10-12 minutes or until the clams open. Remove the clams from the pan, let cool and set aside. Once the clams cool, remove the clam meat from their shells. Meanwhile bring the remaining liquid to a boil and let it reduce by about half. Once reduced, pour the liquid through a fine mesh strainer and into a bowl. Reserve the clam liquid for later.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Back in the same skillet add another drizzle of oil. Add those remaining 4 cloves of garlic and saute until fragrant and golden brown. Again, remove the garlic from the skillet and discard. Add the remaining clams and the reserved clam cooking liquid. Cover and cook ten minutes or until the clams open.
- Meanwhile drop your pasta and cook until al dente. Drain.
- Once the clams in the skillet have opened and are cooked, remove them from the skillet. Reserve the clams for serving.
- Now add the shelled clams (so just the meat, no shells) back to the clam liquid. Now add in the butter. Allow to cook 2-3 minutes and then toss in the pasta, heavy cream, parmesan cheese (if using) and fontina cheese (if using). Toss well until the pasta is coated in cream sauce and the cheese has melted into the sauce.
- Remove from the heat, add the basil, parsley, oregano and some fresh pepper. Toss well. Garnish the pasta with the cooked clams in their shells (first batch). Serve right away with fresh pepper and basil. Enjoy!
How long should seafood cook before it turns rubbery? That question arrives mid-stream in almost every kitchen, but shellfish offers clear visual cues long before timing becomes guesswork. When steaming clams in a wide skillet, watch the hinges closely; the moment those shells gape open, pull them off the heat to preserve tender meat. Stacking too many bivalves in a shallow pan prevents even steaming, so use a broad surface area that allows every shell to touch the bottom directly. A fine-mesh strainer is essential here for filtering out grit from the reduced wine and clam liquor before it meets the dairy.
Frying prosciutto requires medium heat and constant attention over two to three minutes per side until the fat renders and the slices stiffen on paper towels. Garlic behaves similarly in hot oil; browning crushed cloves until golden infuses the fat efficiently, but those spent pieces must be discarded before they turn bitter and overwhelm the delicate seafood. For the sauce, grating Parmesan finely ensures it melts into the heavy cream without clumping, while fontina adds extra stretch and richness to the long pasta strands.
Leftovers demand careful handling because cream-based sauces separate easily upon reheating. Store extra portions in an airtight container for up to two days, then warm them gently over low heat with a splash of water or milk to reconstitute the emulsion. Angel hair pasta continues absorbing liquid rapidly as it sits, making this gentle dilution necessary to restore a smooth coating.
Executing this dish in a compact kitchen space relies on managing a single large sauté pan and a boiling pot simultaneously. Keeping ingredients prepped within arm's reach prevents overcrowding and keeps the stovetop manageable. Every component builds sequentially in the same skillet, capturing fond from the prosciutto and garlic to deepen the flavor profile without adding unnecessary equipment.
