Spaghetti with Buttered Broccoli Clam Sauce

This recipe for spaghetti with buttered broccoli clam sauce is an easy and delicious new spin on this old classic pasta favorite.

I am a big lover of that old classic, linguine with clam sauce.  The red kind, the white kind…either way, I am a happy girl.  And I do have a recipe that I love and adore for linguine with clam sauce, but that doesn’t mean I’m not always experimenting with variations on the theme, which is how this recipe for spaghetti with buttered broccoli clam sauce was born.  Fresh whole clams, cheery broccoli and a buttery wine sauce…it’s a whole new spin on pasta with clam sauce.  Let’s make it! [clickToTweet tweet=”This recipe for spaghetti with buttered broccoli clam sauce is a new spin on this pasta favorite.” quote=”This recipe for spaghetti with buttered broccoli clam sauce is a new spin on this pasta favorite.”]It all started when our local market was having a sale on fresh clams, and I had visions of the beautiful picture I was going to take with the pretty clam shells all nestled in the pasta. Then I thought about it a little more, and I realized that taking the clam meat out of the shells before adding them to the pasta would make things SO much easier, eating-wise.  Which meant two things.

1. I had to take a picture of the clams before they were de-clammed, because they were so photogenic.

2. I had to tell the Southern husband that he won the lucky job of taking all the clam meat out of all the clams.  (Which he did with his usual happy attitude towards life, and which took him about 3 minutes, before you start feeling all sorry for him.)

After that it was smooth sailing.  The broccoli and pasta cooks up in the same pot.  Meantime you make a quick sauce of the reserved clam juice and a little butter.  Toss the whole thing together – the pasta and broccoli, the clam meat, the butter sauce, some parsley and red pepper and you are done!  A glorious pasta that tastes of summer and the ocean…or as we Jersey girls say, tastes of down the shore.

The Southern husband went on and on about how delicious this one was, and I assured him it was primarily because of how the clams were removed from the clam shells.  Hey, it’s important to keep the kitchen help happy and motivated, right?

And of course I couldn’t resist adding just a couple of clams in the shells for the picture.  :)

So the next time you see some fresh clams at your supermarket shake up your pasta with this recipe for spaghetti with buttered broccoli clam sauce!

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Spaghetti with Clams and Brocolli

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• Author: Kate Jackson
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 4-6 servings
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

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• 1 cup white wine
• 3 pounds littleneck clams
• 1 head broccoli, cut into florets
• 1 pound spaghetti or linguine
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• Olive oil for drizzling

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Instructions

1. Bring wine to a boil in a large pot or deep skillet. Add clams, cover and cook until clams are open, about 3-4 minutes. Discard any unopened clams, and remove the meat from the shells. Keep the cooking liquid from the pot.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it liberally. Add the broccoli and cook until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Scoop out the broccoli with a slotted spoon and set aside in a bowl, keeping the water at a boil.
3. Add pasta to the water and cook according to package directions. Drain.
4. While pasta is cooking, reheat the wine liquid in the pot where you cooked the clams and add the butter, simmering until the butter is melted.
5. Add pasta and brocolli to the pot and toss until coated. Stir in parsley, red pepper and the clam meat..
6. Divide among plates, drizzle with a little olive oil and serve.