Pasta

Spicy Spaghetti and Clams with Chili Garlic Breadcrumbs

November 4, 2021

Pasta is my favorite food and this is my second favorite pasta. Do with that information what you will.

Truly though, nothing beats a simple white wine lemon butter sauce. I’ve added calabrian chilis here because I cannot resist adding them to literally everything. They give this pasta a nice kick that I think it deserves. If you’re not a spicy kinda person, totally fine to omit them.

As for the chili garlic breadcrumbs: these are my absolute favorite pasta topping. More so than parmesan even.. They bring a texture contrast that is quite frankly addicting. They come together super quickly and you could easily make extra and store it in your fridge for next time. Just give it a quick toast prior to using.

Spicy Spaghetti and Clams with Chili Garlic Breadcrumbs

Total Time:30 mins

yields:4 Serves

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Ingredients

2 dozen little neck clams cleaned
6 cloves garlic thinly sliced
4 tbsp butter plus more as needed
½ cup dry white wine can be substituted with broth
1 lemon zest and juice
1 tsp Calabrian chiles + more for extra spice or substitute with a pinch of red pepper flakes
¼ cup Italian flat leaf parsley chopped
grilled bread or cooked pasta for serving
fresh cracked pepper to taste
12 oz spaghetti

For the Chili Garlic Breadcrumbs

½ cup panko bread crumbs
1 tsp calabrian chilis
1 small clove of garlic finely grated
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter

Instructions

Heat a large high sided pan or pot over medium high and add the olive oil, butter, and garlic. Cook the garlic for 1 minute while stirring, being sure not to let it burn. Next, add the Calabrian chilis and cook for another 30 seconds. Carefully add the wine and simmer for 2 minutes until the wine has reduced by half to cook out the alcohol. Add all of your clams to the pan. Cover and cook for 5-10 minutes until all of the clams have opened.
Boil spaghetti in salted water 2 minutes shy of package directions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water.
To make the toasted bread crumbs, heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil and butter. Once the butter is melted, add the garlic and the chilis. Cook for about 1 minute, then add the panko and a pinch of salt. Toss to combine. Toast, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until the breadcrumbs are golden brown. Remove from heat.
When the clams are finished cooking, transfer them to a separate bowl. Remove half of the clams from their shells and give them a rough chop.
Transfer the al dente spaghetti and a splash of pasta water to the clam's cooking liquid and set the heat to medium. Allow the pasta to simmer in the cooking liquid for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat and add an additional 2 tbsp of butter to the pasta plus pasta water as needed. Toss to coat. Fold in the chopped clams, lemon juice and lemon zest.
To serve, plate the portions of pasta, top with whole clams, toasted breadcrumbs, and fresh parsley.

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made this for my anniversary dinner and it was so delicious and special! only thing i would note is to make sure to purge (not just scrub clean) your clams before cooking with them!