Ingredients
1 ½-2 pounds Manilla clams or Cockles, minimum of 32 clams, 8 per person
¼ cup EVOO
4 filets of anchovy
4 cloves garlic, chopped or grated
Crushed red pepper flakes, optional
¼ cup white vermouth or white wine
One 14-ounce can diced or crushed Italian tomatoes, about 2 cups, or diced and peeled fresh
1 cup passata or tomato sauce
Salt and black or red pepper
1 pound spaghetti or linguini
½ cup chopped flat parsley
Directions
Serves: 4
Soak clams in very cold water for 15 minutes. Drain. Discard any open or broken shells/clams.
Heat a large pot of water to a boil for pasta.
Heat EVOO in shallow large skillet or pan over medium heat, add anchovies, cover pan for 2 minutes and shake; anchovies will begin to melt into oil, but they will spatter a bit. Add garlic and stir a minute, add crushed red pepper (if using), add vermouth or wine and stir until the anchovies have completely dissolved. Add the clams and tomatoes and sauce and cover pan and cook 7 to 8 minutes until clams open. Meanwhile cook pasta 1 minute less than package instructions in salted water.
Reserve ½ cup water and drain pasta.
Remove lid from clams and discard any that have not opened and season with salt and pepper or more red pepper to taste. Add pasta to sauce along with half the parsley and toss 1 full minute. Add a little reserved cooking water if needed. Transfer to platter and top with remaining parsley and serve immediately. Follow with Baked Fish with Bay and Breadcrumbs and a simple raw salad dressed with lemon and EVOO, salt and pepper.