Giada De Laurentiis’ Spicy Linguine with Mussels and Clams Is a Gorgeous Late Summer Dish
Food Network star Giada De Laurentiis’ satisfying pasta dish with mussels and clams is an elegant but simple summer meal.
Spicy and briny, this meal is both flavorful and memorable.
The chef’s recipe celebrates the sea
The chef’s dish calls for linguine, unsalted butter, chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, olive oil, sliced shallots, minced garlic, white wine, vegetable broth, crushed red pepper flakes, cleaned littleneck clams, and cleaned mussels.
The shallots are cooked in a skillet with oil and, of course, salted and peppered. The garlic follows into the pan and De Laurentiis notes in the Food Network video, link below, “when the garlic is sticky, you know it’s good.”
A cup of the white wine goes in and the heat on the skillet is raised. Once the wine has evaporated a bit, the vegetable broth is added.
“The vegetable broth is pretty mellow in flavor, so it won’t overpower the flavors of the mussels and the clams,” she adds.
Here’s where the spiciness comes in, as the chef states: “I think it’s nice to add a little bit of kick of heat, so we’re going to add half a teaspoon of red pepper flakes right in there, which I think is really, really good.”
If you’re not a fan of spicy food, though, she adds, it’s totally fine to omit the pepper flakes. “Depending on how spicy you like this pasta, you can add more or less,” she says.
Get the complete recipe, video, and reviews on Food Network’s site.
De Laurentiis’ unique method of cleaning clams and mussels
The chef noted in the video that she “brushed the shell a little bit and I also soak them in a little bit of water and flour.”
She explained why flour is involved in prepping the clams: “Because they’re still alive, they suck up the flour and spit out the sand. And that’s what you want. That way, you don’t get a sandy sauce.”
The mussels and clams are placed in the pan, and the pan is covered to allow the steam to open the clams. “If by chance you cook it and any of them don’t open, you’ve to throw them away because that means they were dead,” De Laurentiis cautions.
The linguine is cooked only until it’s al dente and then it’s added to the sauce, so it can finish cooking in the skillet with the clams.
Fresh, chopped parsley is sprinkled over the pan contents and butter is added to “create a nice, creamy sauce. I’m using room temperature butter so it melts very quickly.”
Reviewers praised De Laurentiis’ humble and elegant Italian dish
Many home cooks on Food Network’s site chimed in to sing this gorgeous seafood pasta dish’s praises.
“Perfect for a summer Italian dinner. It’s super easy yet great for company because the clams and mussels make it seem fancy. Everyone loved it and I loved how quick it was to make!,” one person wrote.
Another home cook added, “I made it for dinner last night, It was sooo good and easy to make. I made it exactly like the recipe, but with more clams and mussels. I also added the pasta to the pan with the sauce and shellfish, then mixed it all together. This dish is good as you would get in a restaurant.”
