Clams, or Mussels make the perfect Valentine’s Day dinner. They are often considered to be some of the foods of love and they are quick and easy to cook, and look absolutely sensational when served on a plate! Take the time to splurge on items you might not be able to afford at a restaurant and enjoy with your special someone. Put some flowers on the table, buy a nice bottle of your favorite wine or even Champagne, create an easy to make shellfish dinner and a small side salad and later on indulge with something a bit chocolaty.
Muscles Over Linguine with a White Wine Garlic Sauce
Prep Time: 15 mins, Cook Time: 20 mins, Total Time: 35 mins Yield: 4-6
2-3 pounds mussels, rinsed
1 pound linguine
¾ to 1 cup white wine (I usually use something like a Pinot Grigio , Riesling or Chardonnay whatever white wine we happen to have in the house)
4 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup fresh basil, finely chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3/4 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Rinse the mussels and remove beards if necessary, discard any that do not fully close when rinsing (these are dead).
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add salt to the boiling water, and cook linguine until al dente.
Meanwhile, with linguine still boiling, combine all remaining ingredients (except for the cream and Parmesan cheese) in a large covered sauce pan on medium-high heat.
Cover and simmer mussels in the white wine sauce until fully cooked and shells open up, about 5-10 minutes. Stir sauce and mussels to coat in the sauce.
When linguine is finished, strain and stir into the mussels and white wine sauce. Now add cream and Parmesan cheese. Simmer for 5-7 minutes while covered, stirring occasionally until the sauce slightly thickens.
Serve topped with a pinch of fresh basil or chopped fresh parsley and Parmesan cheese. (Yes, it’s perfectly okay to have cheese with seafood if you enjoy it, LOL!)
For those who would prefer a red sauce with Muscles here is a red sauce version.
Mussels Marinara
2 lbs Mussels
1 cup white wine (use what you like to drink)
1 small onion
3-4 garlic cloves
1 quart your favorite marinara sauce
4 tbsp olive oil
Preparation:
Scrape mussels clean – Toss any that are not closed
Mince onion and garlic
Cooking:
In a tall pot, sauté the onion and garlic in olive oil until they are translucent (don’t burn the garlic).
Add the wine and bring to a boil.
Add the mussels, cover pot and cook until the mussels are fully opened (toss unopened mussels).
In a separate pot bring the marinara sauce to a boil, then pour it over the mussels.
Turn heat off and serve over linguine or you favorite pasta.
Serve with garlic bread and some more of that white wine. Heaven!.
Linguine with Clams
1 pound dried linguine
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 shallots, thinly sliced
5 to 7 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 pounds little neck clams, scrubbed clean and sand purged
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/2-1 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced into small cubes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon, zested, for garnish
In a large pot, bring to a boil 6 quarts of salted water.
Add linguine, stirring constantly to prevent it from sticking together.
Cook until al dente.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large saute pan. When almost smoking, add shallots and garlic and saute until soft and translucent,
about 3 to 4 minutes, being careful not to burn the garlic.
Add the clams and wine. Cover and simmer for 6 to 8 minutes or until the clams have opened.
Add 2 tablespoons chopped parsley. Whisk in butter to thicken sauce slightly.
Drain pasta in a colander. Do not rinse pasta with water – this will remove the pasta’s natural starches.
Pour linguine into large serving bowl- arrange clams over linguine and pour sauce over all
Garnish with remaining parsley and lemon zest. Serve immediately.
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