Garlic Clam Pasta
White Wine and Crab Butter

A vibrant coastal pasta featuring fresh apricot clams, aromatic garlic-infused olive oil, crisp white wine, and a rich, emulsified crab butter sauce.

Ingredients

• 500 g fresh apricot clams
• 200 g spaghetti or linguine
• 4 cloves garlic
• 100 ml olive oil
• 150 ml white wine
• 1 tbsp crab butter
• 1 stalk fresh parsley
• 1 lemon
• to taste salt

Instructions

1. 1Soak the clams in warm water

   

   Add warm water around 20 degrees Celsius to a bowl containing the clams, along with some salt and oil. Once the water is warmed up, the clams will start to spit out sand. Let them soak for an hour.

   Tip: Make sure the water temperature is around 20 degrees Celsius to encourage the clams to purge sand effectively.
2. 2Infuse oil with garlic

   

   Pour olive oil into a pan and fry sliced garlic to create a garlic-infused oil. This oil will provide half the flavor for the pasta. Fry the garlic until slightly golden, then remove it so it doesnt turn bitter.

   Tip: Remove the garlic chips as soon as they turn golden to prevent them from burning and becoming bitter.
3. 3Add clams to the fragrant oil

   

   Put the cleaned clams directly into the pan with the prepared garlic oil. Toss them briefly to coat with the flavored oil before adding the next liquid ingredients.

   Tip: Ensure the pan is heated properly so the clams sizzle nicely upon contact with the oil.
4. 4Steam the clams with white wine

   

   Pour plenty of white wine over the clams in the pan, add a bit of salt, and cover with a lid to steam until cooked. Once all the clams open up, they are done.

   Tip: Do not skip the white wine as it builds the essential aromatic base for the clam broth.
5. 5Separate and save clam broth

   

   Strain the cooked clams to save the flavorful clam broth, then remove the clam meat from the shells. Pour the reserved clam broth back into the pan to build the sauce.

   Tip: Keep the clam meat separate until the very end so it does not overcook and toughen.
6. 6Enrich the sauce with crab butter

   

   Pour the clam broth into the pan and add a ladle of pasta boiling water to help emulsify the sauce. Add a spoonful of crab butter—if unavailable, regular butter is a fine substitute—making sure to have plenty of sauce ready.

   Tip: Stir well to fully blend the crab butter and starchy pasta water into a creamy emulsion.
7. 7Add Pasta to the Sauce

   

   Add the freshly cooked pasta directly into the pan containing the rich clam sauce and crab butter emulsion. Cook the pasta for one minute less than the package instructions so that it can absorb the vibrant flavors of the sauce.

   Tip: Always undercook the pasta slightly before adding it to the pan so it finishes absorbing the flavorful broth without becoming mushy.

Storage & Reheating

Burn It Off

Frequently Asked Questions