Appreciating old favorites: linguine vongole

I've been revisiting an old favorite lately: Martha's linguine with clams. It's an old stand-by, and one that I posted about when I first started blogging. I'm still making it, but I've adjusted it with little tweaks that I've come to prefer along the way. I thought I'd share my adapted version, and the updated photos I've shot of the dish that are much more consistent with my current photography style.

I'm elbow deep in Thanksgiving preparations - I'm sure you are too. I have a wonderful flourless chocolate cake recipe from a fellow blogger to share and perhaps a couple other goodies from the feast. Would love to hear about what you are cooking!

Linguine vongole (adapted from Martha Stewart Living)
Serves 4 to 6

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound linguine
1/4 pound slab bacon, cut 3/8 inch thick
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3/4 cup loosely packed flat-leaf parsley leaves, coarsely chopped
1/8 - 1/4 cup dry white wine
3 pounds Manila clams or cockles, scrubbed and rinsed
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place bacon on a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for ~20 minutes until fat renders. Remove from oven and drain on paper towels. Cut into 1/8 inch strips or small cubes.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt and pasta, and cook until just shy of al dente (note: it is important to not fully cook the pasta as it will continue to cook in later steps). Drain, reserving 1/2 cup cooking water.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes, and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds; do not let garlic brown. Stir in 1/8 teaspoon salt, and a pinch of black pepper; cook for 30 seconds. Add wine, and simmer for 1 minute. Add clams and bacon; increase heat to medium-high, and cook, covered, until clams begin to open, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in butter until incorporated. Stir in parsley. Add pasta to skillet, and toss to coat, adding reserved cooking water a tablespoon at a time to loosen, if desired. Transfer to a large serving bowl, and serve immediately.

Fresh (via Fedex) from the south: linguine with crawfish tails and andouille

My husband’s family is from the south, which means that occasionally I get requests for food I’m only barely familiar with. Creole/Cajun food is serious business. Take gumbo, for example. My husband, sister-in-law and in-laws will have long, important debates about which restaurant has the best gumbo, whether a blond or brown roux is best, which gumbo has properly de-slimed okra (or not), what the right thickness and seasoning of the soup is. I have taken a particular liking to crawfish, and whenever we go to Texas to visit we stop in for crawfish at the Rajun’ Cajun, a Louisiana chain. Everyone gets a bucketful of crawfish, red potatoes and corn on the cob, seasoned with an intense mix of spices (or washed off, if you prefer). It’s a lot of work to get through the tough shells to the tail meat, but it’s worth the effort.

You can’t get crawfish in New York. Believe me, I’ve tried. So I was very excited to discover a mail order resource for live crawfish (and all the accompaniments). With a minimum order of 15 pounds, Cajun grocer will overnight live crawfish in a Styrofoam cooler complete with a package of spices (which, of course, I supplemented). While slightly horrified when I lifted off the cover and confirmed the crawfish were in fact alive and well, I nevertheless managed to get them in a huge pot of boiling water seasoned with spices, lemon and onion, and boiled the along with the requisite potatoes and corn. We served them the traditional way, dumping them out on a table lined with newspapers and cracking them one by one. We had them with gumbo, chowder, andouille sausage and boudin (the first time I’ve had boudin). It was an enormous feast but there was surprisingly little left over. What was left, I made into a pasta the next day: whole wheat linguine with crawfish tails, andouille and peas in an olive oil and garlic sauce. The andouille lent an amazing spiciness to the dish, the peas a beautiful color, and the crawfish – well, a decadence that only lobster could beat!

You might not come by crawfish anytime soon, but swap in lobster meat or shrimp as you prefer.

On a completely different topic, I won the vote for the April, 2008 Inspiring Food Photography award run by Margot at Coffee and Vanilla. Thanks so much Margot (and voters) for nominating me and voting me in - I'm displaying my badge proudly and I'm thrilled for the honor! The May nominees are up so hop on over and have a look.

Spicy whole wheat linguine with andouille sausage and crawfish tails

1 pound whole wheat linguine
1 pound crawfish tails or shrimp, shelled and de-veined or lobster meat
½ pound andouille sausage, grilled, halved and cut into ½ inch pieces
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
½ cup peas – steamed, room temperature
¼ cup white wine (approx)
Italian flat leaf parsley (3-4 Tbs, chopped roughly)
Salt and pepper

Boil a large pot of salted water for the pasta. Cook pasta according to package directions.

Heat oil in a large sauté pan, add garlic, and sauté for a couple minutes until golden (do not burn). Add crawfish tails, andouille, and white wine. Season generously with salt and pepper. Sauté for a few minutes longer. Add peas, sauté for a minute or just enough to warm. Remove from heat, stir in parsley.

Drain pasta and add to sauté pan. Toss to combine with the sauce. Pour into a large bowl. Adjust seasonings. Add additional olive oil if necessary, and serve.

Pantry pasta: linguine with garlic and olive oil

If I could only eat one type of food it would definitely be pasta. I love all shapes and textures and the endless variety of sauces from basic to sophisticated. My favorite pasta of all time is the simplest: linguine with olive oil and garlic. It’s pantry pasta: it can be whipped up in a few minutes with ingredients you probably already have on hand. It’s great for dinner and the leftovers are also delicious cold the next day (or the next several days!). The only tricky thing about my favorite recipe, which is from Cook's Illustrated, is watching the garlic. Cook it for too long and you have unpleasant burnt garlic. Under-cook it and you have garlic that’s too strong and raw. The trick is to stand at the stove watching it while it cooks and remove it as soon as it starts to turn golden, remembering that it will continue to cook for a little bit once you remove it from the heat. My cookbook is dog-eared and splattered with olive oil on this recipe's page as I have made it so many times.

Spaghetti (or linguine which I prefer) with Garlic and Olive Oil from Cook's Illustrated's The Best Recipe

The garlic is quickly and easily pureed with a garlic press. Alternatively, you can mince it with a chef’s knife, sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt, and continue to mince to a paste, but be sure to reduce the amount of salt cooked with the oil and garlic to 1/2 teaspoon. Diluting the garlic with a bit of water before sautéing ensures a mild, even garlic flavor and helps to prevent burning. Although not a pantry item, parsley adds a fresh herbal flavor and should be used if you have some on hand. If you like, cook 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more to taste) along with the garlic and oil.

Serves 4

4 medium cloves garlic , peeled, processed through garlic press, and mixed with 1 teaspoon water (see note)
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Table salt
1 pound spaghetti or linguine
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley leaves (optional)
Ground black pepper

1. Heat oil, garlic, optional pepper flakes, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in small skillet over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until garlic turns golden but not brown, about 5 minutes; remove pan from heat.

2. Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta; cook until al dente. Reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid, drain pasta and return to pot. Add garlic mixture, reserved pasta cooking liquid, and optional parsley; toss well to coat. Adjust seasoning with salt and ground black pepper to taste. Serve immediately.