Spicy Clams with Spaghetti

By courtneyepowell

Ingredients

• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 8 ounces spaghetti
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes, plus more for serving
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 18 littleneck clams (about 1 1/2 pounds), scrubbed
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped, plus 1 tablespoon thinly sliced stems

Details

Servings 2
Adapted from marthastewart.com

Preparation

Step 1

Step 1
Bring a medium pot of generously salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water; drain.

Step 2
Meanwhile, heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add garlic and red-pepper flakes and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Add wine and bring to a simmer. Increase heat to medium-high and add clams. Cover and cook just until clams open, 4 to 5 minutes. Discard unopened clams.

Step 3
Stir in butter and parsley leaves and stems. Add pasta and toss to coat, adding reserved pasta water 1 tablespoon at a time, until sauce is loose and creamy. Season with salt and pepper.