Introduction: SHRIMP & CLAM FETTUCCINE

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About: I am a 82-year-old self-proclaimed Chef who has spent most of his life in the hotel/resort tourism industry. I have traveled up and down the east coast of the United States from New York to Key West, and from …

This recipe can easily be modified to suit your personal tastes in many ways. You can substitute fresh shucked clams if you can get them. You can also use whole Cerrystone Clams in the shell; just add the clams in their shells when you begin cooking the tomato sauce and let them cook until they open. You can also add more or less (or none) garlic and/or red chili pepper, and, if you don't like Anchovies, you can leave them out!

I would have preferred to serve the Shrimp & Clam sauce over DeBoles Fettuccine that is made with organic Jerusalem Artichoke Inulin, but I could not find any in town so I chose Ronzoni's Fettuccine No. 132 because the strands of pasta are nice and thick. You could also substitute the pasta for a gluten-free variety and this recipe would become totally gluten-free!

Step 1: INGREDIENTS (3 SERVINGS)

  1. 1/4 Cup Extra Light Olive Oil
  2. 4 Cloves Garlic
  3. 2 or 3 slices raw Red Chili Pepper with seeds
  4. 3 Anchovy Fillets
  5. 1 Can (14.5 Fluid oz.) Petite Cut Diced No Salt Added Diced Tomatoes
  6. 1 Can (2.25 Fluid oz.) sliced Black Olives
  7. 1/2 Cup good Dry White Wine (I used Barefoot's California Riesling)
  8. 1 TBS dried crushed Oregano
  9. 1/2 teaspoon Coarse Ground Black Pepper
  10. A sprig of Fresh Basil ,( plus 1/4 cup shredded Basil Leaves for Garnish)
  11. 1/2 lb. Fresh Raw Medium or Large Shrimp, peeled and deveined
  12. 1 Can (6.5 fluid oz.) Whole Shucked Cherrystone Clams (I used Trader Joe's' Maine Whole Cherrystone Clams)
  13. 1/2 oz. Shredded Sharp Provolone Cheese (BelGiosio's Sharp Provolone is excellent)
  14. 1/2 package (8 oz.) Fettuccine (or pasta of your choice)

Step 2: PREPARATION

  1. *Smash, peel, and finely chop the Garlic
  2. Slice the Red Chili Pepper
  3. Rinse and Drain the Canned Clams and set aside
  4. Drain the Black Olives and set aside
  5. Have your spices and the Anchovy Fillets ready to use when needed.
  • *NOTE: When preparing garlic, I smash the cloves with the flat side of a big knife or cleaver because this makes it easy to remove the skin (peel). then I slice off that little brown piece (the stem end) from the garlic clove and discard it (it can add some bitterness to the garlic). Then I finely chop or dice the clove.

Step 3: DIRECTIONS

  1. *Add 3 quarts of water and a teaspoon of salt to a large pot and begin to bring it to a boil preparatory to cooking the Pasta.
  2. Heat the 1/4 cup of Oil in a heavy pan over medium heat.
  3. When the oil is hot, add the garlic, red chili pepper, and anchovy fillets. Simmer, while mashing the Anchovy fillets with the back of a wooden spoon, just until the anchovies melt into the oil (about 2 minutes; you don't want to burn the garlic).
  4. Add the tomatoes, black olives, wine, Basil Leaves, black pepper and oregano; bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat to low or medium low (depends on your stove; you want the sauce to "bubble" a little as it cooks), cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
  5. Add the shrimp; re-cover pan and continue to simmer for 4 or 5 minutes more, or just until the shrimp begin to turn pink.
  6. Add the clams; turn off the burner but leave the pot on the stove for a couple of minutes to allow the clams to heat through; stir in 1 ladle of pasta water (about 3 fluid oz.), taste sauce and add salt or any seasonings needed, and remove pot from burner.

  • *NOTE: It will take approximately 10-12 minutes to cook the pasta AL DENTE (follow the instructions on the package). Try to time it so that the pasta water is boiling and ready to receive the Fettuccine when you have about 15 minutes before the sauce is ready to serve

Step 4: TIME TO EAT . . .

Plate the pasta, spread some shredded cheese over the it, top with a plenty of the Shrimp & Clam sauce, and scatter some chopped fresh Basil Leaves over it.

Since I had some of that good Riesling Wine left in the bottle, I thought I might as well enjoy a glass of it with my dinner!

Mangiare!

Step 5: NUTRITION

Nutrition for this recipe was calculated by me using the MyFitnessPal Recipe Analyzer. I serving of the Shrimp & Clam Sauce has an estimated 393 calories, but only 13 carbohydrates, and it is full of protein (an estimated 21 grams per serving).

However, the Fettuccine (according to Ronzoni) will add about 200 calories and 42 grams of carbs to the dish.per 2 oz. serving.