LINGUINE WITH CLAMS AND MUSSELS "STAINED" WITH TOMATOES
Description
(serves 6)
In true Italian style Antonio served this pasta dish before the main course. At home I would serve it with a salad as a main course. Sicilian chilli flakes and tinned cherry tomatoes are available at La Bella Italia and you may also find them at other speciality food shops. Linguine is long, skinny, slightly flattened pasta
INGREDIENTS
200 ml (3/4 cup + 1 tbsp) Italian extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves
1/4 tsp Sicilian chilli flakes
18 clams in shells
18 mussels in shells
1/2 tsp Maldon sea salt plus extra for cooking linguine
400g (1 tin) Italian cherry tomatoes in their juice
1 tsp chopped oregano leaves
2 tbsp Italian parsley leaves
500g linguine
METHOD
- Pour oil into a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan and place over a medium heat.
- Add garlic and cook until it is golden brown. Remove garlic and reserve for another use. Add chilli flakes, clams, mussels and salt. Put lid on saucepan. Leave on a medium heat, gently shaking saucepan, for four to five minutes, or until clams and mussels are nearly opened. Add cherry tomatoes and their juice, oregano and half of the parsley. When shellfish are wide open they are ready.
- While shellfish are cooking add linguine to a large pot of salted, boiling water. Warm a large pasta bowl. When linguine are al dente (cooked until they give slight resistance to the bite), drain and toss with shellfish and their juices in the pasta bowl. Top with remaining parsley and serve immediately.
