 |
| Back |
|
Linguini with Clams
Linguine with Clams Mixed Green Salad with Italian Vinaigrette Crusty Italian Bread ~ Amaretto Ice Cream Vanilla Cookies
Something about Linguine with Clams says amore to me. Pair it with Italian wine and follow with Amaretto Ice Cream and you have seduction in a nutshell. This might be a night for a movie for two. Need I say more?
Italians don’t typically use Parmesan cheese with seafood, however you do see it frequently in the United States. I, personally, like it, so I include it here. Don’t hesitate to leave it out if you prefer.
4 tablespoons olive oil 4 garlic cloves, chopped 3 pounds manila clams ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes ¼ teaspoon salt 1 cup white wine 1 cup clam juice 3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped ½ cup tomato sauce 1 pound linguini Parmesan cheese for sprinkling, if desired
Put on a large pot of salted water to boil for the pasta.
Meanwhile, heat a sauté pan until hot and add the oil. When oil is hot, add the garlic and sauté for a minute, until the garlic is fragrant. Add salt and pepper flakes, then wine, clam juice, and tomato sauce. Sauté a few minutes to blend. Add the clams in the shell and cook until all the clam shells have opened, about 5 minutes. Discard any clams that do not open. Take out the clams and let the sauce reduce and thicken a bit. Remove meat from ½ the clams and chop. Put all the clams back into sauce just before adding the pasta.
Cook the linguini al dente and drain. Add the pasta to the clam sauce and toss. Add the rest of the parsley. Cook together a few minutes to blend flavors, but do not overcook the clams. Serve immediately with a sprinkling of Parmesan Cheese, if desired. Pass Italian bread at the table. Serves 3-4.
Mixed Green Salad with Italian Vinaigrette
Enough baby salad greens for the number of guests
1½ tablespoons Balsamic vinegar 1 small shallot, very finely minced ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil Sea salt Freshly ground black pepper
Combine vinegar and shallot. Whisk in olive oil until emulsified. Taste on a lettuce leaf for seasoning and add sea salt and pepper to taste.
This is not a true Italian gelato, but I find that with the Amaretto I like the simpler flavor of just the sugar and cream, rather than the custard base typical of gelato.
1 quart premium vanilla ice cream (I prefer Häagen-Dazs because it only contains cream, sugar and vanilla) ½ cup Amaretto liqueur
Whirl half of ice cream in blender with ¼ cup Amaretto liqueur. Transfer to covered freezer container. Repeat with remaining ice cream and remaining ¼ cup liqueur. Freeze several hours. Serves 4 with leftovers, and who can complain about that?
½ cup butter ½ cup brown sugar ½ cup granulated sugar 1 egg ½ teaspoon vanilla ½ teaspoon baking powder 1 ½ cups flour
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and mix well. Add flour and baking powder and mix just until blended. Chill dough for one hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Form marble-sized balls of dough and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Flatten each ball to ¼-inch thick with a cookie press or the bottom of a drinking glass. Bake 8-10 minutes, until the edges of the cookies turn golden.
|
|
Copyright © 2008 by Charlotte Rose. All rights reserved. |