Spaghetti with Clams and Braised Greens

By joanmarie

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 8 garlic cloves, crushed
• 4 dozen littleneck clams
• 2 cups dry white wine
• 2 jarred roasted red peppers, drained
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 pound Swiss chard or collard greens, stemmed and chopped (8 cups)
• Kosher salt
• Pepper
• 1/2 pound spaghetti
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for garnish

Details

Cooking time 45mins
Adapted from food and wine.com

Preparation

Step 1

1 In a large pot, heat 1/4 cup of the oil. Add half of the garlic and cook over moderate heat, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in the clams. Add the wine and bring to a boil. Cover and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, 5 to 7 minutes; as the clams open, transfer them to a baking sheet. Discard any unopened clams. Strain the cooking liquid through a sieve into a blender. Add the roasted peppers and puree until smooth.

2 Wash out the pot, then heat the remaining 1/4 cup of oil in it. Add the remaining garlic and cook over moderate heat, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in the crushed red pepper and Swiss chard in batches until the chard is just wilted, about 3 minutes. Stir in the roasted pepper broth and season with salt and pepper.

3 In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the spaghetti until al dente; drain. Add the pasta to the Swiss chard mixture along with the butter, lemon zest, lemon juice and the 1/2 cup of grated cheese. Add the clams and toss to heat through. Transfer the pasta and broth to shallow bowls, garnish with grated cheese and serve.