Clam Spaghetti

*This Clam Spaghetti is a delicious dinner that I learned from my dad. Steaming pasta is topped with a rich and savory combination of caramelized onions, fragrant garlic, and clams.*

Last month I shared my mom’s pasta carbonara, and today I’ve got a spaghetti recipe from my dad! Among the many memories I have of my dad from growing up, a few take place concretely in the kitchen: reading the comics on Sunday morning while he made us french toast, learning to wash dishes under his watchful eye, and keeping him company while he lovingly prepared this delicious pasta dish.

The routine was always the same. I would boost myself up on the high stools at the counter and watch as my dad chopped onion after onion. We would dance and sing to The Beatles while the sauce simmered away on the stove, filling the room with the delicious, savory scent of caramelized onions and garlic. I would often pull out my markers and draw or color while we chatted about books or puzzles. See, the thing with this pasta dish is that it takes a long time to prepare. The deliciously buttery, sweet and savory sauce of onions, garlic, and clams will only come together over very low heat; a simmer time of almost an hour ensures the most flavor possible. My dad, of course, used this to his advantage when preparing dinner for guests. As he explains, the key is to get them in the kitchen early in the cooking process. As they get hungrier and hungrier, and everything starts to smell better and better, they’re just that much more likely to absolutely love and devour the resulting meal! And even though this spaghetti might take a while to prepare, I’m not complaining, because I wouldn’t trade those fun memories with my dad for anything.

Plus, believe me, the final results are definitely worth it. As I’ve already explained, the simple combination of plenty of butter, sliced onions, minced garlic, and clams is out of this world. We use a combination of canned clams, for the flavorful juice and plentiful meat, and fresh little guys in the shell for some extra flair. A pour of marsala helps round out the sauce, which is just delightful spooned over steaming hot spaghetti. I hope you love this dish as much as my family does!

Clam Spaghetti

Servings: 6
Difficulty: Easy
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This Clam Spaghetti is a delicious dinner that I learned from my dad. Steaming pasta is topped with a rich and savory combination of caramelized onions, fragrant garlic, and clams.

Herbes de Provence is a dried herb mixture usually containing thyme, oregano, rosemary, and other herbs. If you can’t find it, feel free to simply use thyme instead.

Ingredients

8 tablespoons butter
4 onions
2 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons sea salt, divided
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon herbes de Provence
2 6.5-ounce cans minced clams
¼ cup marsala
1 pound spaghetti
1 pound fresh clams

Directions

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
Peel onions, then slice in half. Slice each half into thin strips.
Add onions to pan. Let cook, stirring regularly, until translucent, about five minutes.
Meanwhile, peel and finely mince garlic cloves.
Add garlic, one teaspoon salt, pepper, and herbes de Provence to pan.
Let cook a couple more minutes.
Open canned clams and drain juice into a bowl, leaving meat in the can.
Add clam juice and marsala to the pan with the onions.
Lower heat to medium-low and let cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until very fragrant and onions are nicely softened and browned, about forty five minutes.
Meanwhile, thirty minutes into cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil.
Add spaghetti and remaining teaspoon salt. Cook according to package directions.
Add fresh clams to pan with onions.
Raise heat to medium and cover. Let cook until clams open, six to eight minutes.
Then, add canned clam meat. Stir to combine then cook until warmed through, about one more minute.
By now, the spaghetti should be ready. Drain, and divide between plates. Top with onions and clams.

The Millennial Cook