Spaghetti With Clams and Prosciutto

My favourite recipe for pasta is spaghetti with clams and prosciutto. Made with just a handful of ingredients it is packed full of flavour giving it the wow factor on your dinner table. The saltiness of the clams and the prosciutto with garlic, white wine, chilli flakes and butter makes a delicious pasta sauce with all the flavours of the Mediterranean.

Ever since my first journey to Italy when I was seven I have been very particular about my pasta. I like it as fresh as possible and cooked al dente. We often think pasta should be soft but in reality it needs to have a bite. The Italians eat pasta virtually every day of the week so they should know! And the less ingredients added to it the better.

All you need is a simple sauce packed full of flavour. Making your own homemade pasta is so satisfying and with the help of the Thermomix it is easier than you think! You need to allow the time to allow for it to dry out before cooking. If you don’t have that time then there are some fantastic fresh pastas to buy and even some dried ones too.

Why You Will Love This Recipe For Spaghetti With Clams and Prosciutto

• Quick and easy to make. This is one of the quickest and fastest pasta recipes you will make. It is made in minutes in the thermomix.
• Flavoursome. Even though this recipe is made with just a handful of ingredients, it is packed full of flavour.
• Economical. With only a small amount of ingredients it works out to be a cheap meal for the family. A perfect sharing dish amongst friends.
• Healthy. With olive oil as a healthy fat and no cream it is full of goodness.
• Fresh. Made with fresh clams and fresh ingredients from scratch you can taste the freshness straight away.

Today’s Ingredients and How To Prepare Them.

• Spaghetti. If using fresh pasta this only takes 4 minutes to cook. With dried pasta this takes 12 to 15 minutes once the water has boiled. Leave in an insulated bowl until the sauce is cooked.
• Clams. These are called Littleneck clams and are sold in a net bag to allow them to breathe. It is important to take them straight out of your shopping bag and into an uncovered bowl when you get home to allow them to breathe. Discard any broken shells and if any are open tap them and they will close if they are still alive. Discard any which are not. Rinse them to remove the grit on the outside and fill the bowl with water. Allow to sit for 30 minutes so they will expel any sand. Rinse again just before using.
• Prosciutto. This adds a delicious saltiness to the dish. If you want larger pieces then chop by hand. You can also use Serrano ham which is equally delicious.
• Garlic. Garlic is full of healthy antioxidants and vitamins so it’s a win win ingredient. This is a must for me in most dishes but particularly this one. You need that garlic taste to come through with the wine and ham to give the wow factor in this dish.
• Herbs. I like to use parsley as it’s simplicity doesn’t overpower the dish. Tarragon and coriander also works well here.
• Chilli Flakes. As well as having excellent health benefits these add a hint of warmth and can liven up the dish. But they can be omitted if you don’t like spice.
• White wine. I love using wine in cooking as it can bring the dish to another level. While most of the alcohol burns off in cooking it combines with other ingredients to form a delicious broth, in this case the clams. It helps release the flavours from the other ingredients to make an amazing dish. If you really are adverse to cooking with wine then replace it with some light vegetable or fish stock.
• Butter. This is the ingredient which brings the whole dish together. Kerrygold butter is the most perfect butter to use as it is rich and salty and simply the best butter in the world!

Tip Of The Day

Use shellfish on the day of purchase. You can also use mussels or any shellfish of your choice.

Other Fish Recipes I know you will love

• Caribbean Coconut Prawns
• Salmon and Sweet Potato Cakes
• Easy Healthy Fish Tacos

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