Pasta with Canned Clams (White Clam Sauce Gluten-Free)
This pasta with canned clams is one of those recipes that’s deliciously deceiving - it’s made with simple pantry staples, comes together in less than 30 minutes, and tastes just as good (dare I say, better) than anything you’d order at a fancy Italian restaurant. Toss it with gluten-free spaghetti or any long gluten-free pasta, and you’ve got an easy, comforting dinner that’s naturally gluten-free and all things Italian!
Equipment
- 1 Large pasta pot
- 1 Colander
- 1 Wooden spoon or silicone spatula
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Can opener
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Tongs or pasta fork
Ingredients
- 12 ounces gluten-free spaghetti or long pasta Cook al dente. reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water, just in case.
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic about 4 large cloves
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 cup dry white wine don't use cooking wine
- 2 6.5 ounce canned chopped clams reserve the juice, about 1 cup
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- freshly shredded parmesan cheese
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Bring a big pot of salted water to a boil and cook your gluten-free pasta until it’s just al dente. This is important because gluten-free pasta can overcook quickly. Drain it, but be sure to save about ½ cup of that pasta water. Like I said, you may not need it, but just in case.
- Using the same pot, add the olive oil and garlic together and warm them over medium heat. Let the garlic slowly come to a simmer - you’ll know it’s ready when your kitchen smells amazing and the garlic just starts to sizzle. Keep an eye on it so it doesn’t brown too quickly.
- Sprinkle in the Italian seasoning and give it a quick stir - about 10 seconds is all you need to wake up those herbs and get them fragrant.
- Pour in the white wine and let it simmer for a minute or two. The alcohol will cook off, and the wine adds that classic flavor you get in restaurant-style white clam sauce.
- Pour in all the reserved clam juice. Give it a stir and let it simmer for another 2–3 minutes. This is what builds that broth-style sauce that coats the pasta so beautifully.
- Add the chopped clams and the butter. Let the butter melt into the sauce and warm the clams through - this only takes a couple of minutes.
- Add the pasta directly into the pot with the sauce and gently toss it so every strand gets coated in that garlicky, winey clam broth. Keep the heat on medium to medium high and let the broth cook down a little more and cook into the pasta. If it looks a little too tight, add a splash or two of the pasta water until it looks silky.
- Turn off the heat and finish the pasta with freshly grated Parmesan cheese, a pinch of red pepper flakes if you like a little heat, and salt to taste. Serve warm.
Notes
- Don’t overcook the pasta. Gluten-free pasta can go from perfect to mushy fast, and it will continue cooking once you add it to the clam sauce. Cook it just until al dente so it keeps a good bite.
- The sauce will look very liquidy at first. When you add the pasta into the white clam sauce, don’t panic - it’s supposed to look brothy in the beginning. Keep tossing the pasta over medium to medium-high heat and you’ll see the broth absorb into the noodles. This is what gives the pasta that silky, rich, restaurant-style texture.
- Adjust the consistency as needed. If the sauce tightens up too much, add a splash of reserved pasta water. It helps the sauce loosen, cling beautifully to the noodles, and stay glossy.
Nutrition
Serving: 1gCalories: 453kcalCarbohydrates: 59gProtein: 23gFat: 14gCholesterol: 74mgFiber: 3gSugar: 2g
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!