This easy pantry dinner recipe for pasta with buttered tomato clam sauce adds some seafood to this comfort food pasta supper.
My friends! How is everyone doing out there on Quarantine Day 394,482? I’m pretty sure that’s how long we have all been doing our part by staying inside, washing our hands and FaceTiming with our dear ones.
I have also been stress-baking, which is working out well for this character, who is (as usual) taking everything calmly and with a great attitude.
Opposites attract! Although I am trying to keep things as positive as possible. I’m listening to my Calm app in the morning, I am keeping in close touch (by phone!) with friends and family, and one day I am actually going to wear Real Clothes instead of leggings. Baby steps.
In the meantime I am all about the comfort foods, and for me, comfort food means pasta. My ultimate comfort food is pastina with cheese and an egg, but pretty much any pasta will cheer me up. (Hence the leggings.)
This easy pantry dinner recipe for pasta with buttered tomato clam sauce adds some seafood to this comfort food pasta supper. This particular pasta with buttered tomato clam sauce gets extra points for being a pantry supper…meaning that there is a good chance you may have the ingredients right there in your pantry.
Pasta. Canned tomatoes. Canned clams. A slice of bread. These all team up with butter and a few other ingredients that will transform your supper table into Comfort Food Central.
Here’s how you make pasta with buttered tomato clam sauce!
You start by simmering up some canned tomatoes and their juices with butter and an onion (and yes, if this reminds you of the classic recipe for the best tomato sauce in the world, you are right!)
We are going to jazz this sauce up a bit by pureeing it up, and then stirring in a couple of cans of chopped clams, which will give it a nice dash of protein and a lovely light seafood flavor.
And last but not least, you are going to whirl that slice of bread up in your food processor, sauté the crumbs in a teeny bit more butter, and then mix them with parsley and parmesan cheese for a delicious crunchy pasta topping.
No matter what you have for supper, I hope that gathering around the table for supper gives you the comfort and cheer that we all need so much these days!
Xoxoxo and stay safe and healthy!
PrintPasta With Buttered Tomato Clam Sauce
This easy pantry dinner recipe for pasta with buttered tomato clam sauce adds some seafood to this comfort food pasta supper.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- One 28 ounce can plum tomatoes, cut up into chunks with their juices
- 1 sweet onion, peeled and cut into quarters
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 2 six ounce cans chopped clams, drained
- 8 ounces short pasta (penne, campanelle, etc)
- 1 slice bread
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley for garnish
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese for garnish
Instructions
- Put the tomatoes with their juices in a pot, add the onion, five tablespoons of the butter and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Give it all a good stir and bring it to a simmer. Let it simmer on low heat for 45 minutes, then scoop out the onion pieces and discard (or save them to mix into a salad!)
- Puree the sauce in a blender (or even better, right there in the pot with an immersion blender) and set aside.
- Cook the pasta according to package directions and drain.
- While the pasta is cooking, make some bread crumbs by whirling that piece of bread in your food processors until it is crumbs. Put that last tablespoon of butter in a small skillet over medium high heat. Add the bread crumbs, stir until golden and set aside.
- Add the pasta and the clams to the pot with the sauce and stir over low heat until everything is warmed through.
- Mix the parsley and parmesan cheese into the breadcrumbs. Divide the pasta among warmed bowls, sprinkle with the breadcrumbs mixture and serve!
Keywords: pasta with tomato clam sauce
Annette says
Hi Kate
Being Italian Sunday is pasta day
I think I’m going to make this tonight
But I’m not sure because I only have 2 cans of clams and the recipe calls for 3
Will it work with just 2
Let me know what you think
Thanks
Hi Annette, and yay for pasta day! Thanks for your eagle eye – that should be 2 cans of clams, and I’ve adjusted the recipe – so you will be just fine! Let me know how it comes out for you, and hope you and yours are all safe and healthy. :)
Annette says
This was so easy to make
I normally am not a fan of clam sauce but I decided to make it for my husband
When he went back for a second dish I knew I had to try it and it really was delicious . WOW
Thank you for opening my world to a delicious clam sauce
Loved the breadcrumb cheese mixture
I make pasta with zucchini and I think that will be a great topping
A truly Yummy dish to add to my recipes
Thanks so much
★★★★★
I’m so glad!! I am a big fan of adding breadcrumbs to pasta sauces – they add that nice little crunch of flavor! Stay safe and well. :)