Pasta With Clams Corn And Basil Pesto Food

SUMMER CLAM STEW WITH PESTO

Steps:

• Combine the clams and 1 cup water in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cover and cook until they start to open, about 5 minutes. Use tongs or a slotted spoon to transfer the clams to a bowl; discard any unopened clams. Pour the clam juices into a liquid measuring cup (avoid the sediment from the bottom of the pot). Wipe out the pot. Cover the clams to keep warm.
• Add the olive oil to the pot and set over medium-high heat. Add the onion, diced fennel, a big pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, about 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes and red pepper flakes; cook, stirring, until mostly dry, about 2 minutes. Add enough water to the clam juices to equal 3 cups, then add the liquid to the pot, cover and bring to a boil.
• Meanwhile, trim the green beans and cut into 1-inch pieces. Add to the pot along with the pasta and cannellini beans and their liquid. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is al dente, 8 to 10 minutes. Add more water, if needed; season with salt and pepper. Stir in the clams and heat through.
• Divide the soup among bowls. Top with chopped fennel fronds and the pesto.

PASTA WITH CLAMS, CORN, AND BASIL PESTO

Steps:

• Make the pesto:
• In a blender or food processor, combine garlic, Parmigiano, basil, and oil and blend until very smooth, scraping down sides as needed and adding a tablespoon or two of water if needed to get things moving. Add lemon zest and season with salt and pepper. Set pesto aside (you should have about 1/2 cup).
• Cook the clams and pasta:
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta and season it generously with salt. In a medium Dutch oven or large cast-iron skillet, heat butter and oil over medium-high heat. When butter is foaming, add garlic, shallots, and reserved basil stems and cook until mixture is fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add wine and bring to a simmer. Add clams, toss to coat, cover, and cook, checking and stirring every few minutes, until clams begin to open, 3 to 5 minutes. As clams open, transfer them with a slotted spoon to a medium bowl, but try to keep pot covered as much as possible. Fish out basil stems and keep pan sauce warm over very low heat. (If you want a shell-free dining experience, gently liberate clams from their shells and return them to bowl with a splash or two of pasta water over them so they don't dry out.)
• Cook pasta until 1 or 2 minutes shy of al dente. Scoop 1 cup of pasta water into pan with clam sauce. Drain pasta and add to sauce along with half of the pesto. Add corn and bring mixture to a simmer. Cook, stirring, until liquid starts to thicken and pasta is al dente, about 2 minutes. Add clams and any accumulated liquid from bowl. Cook, stirring and tossing, until clams are warmed through, 2 minutes. Serve pasta and clams topped with more pesto.

CREAMY CORN PASTA WITH BASIL

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until 1 minute shy of al dente, according to the package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water.
• Meanwhile, heat oil in large sauté pan over medium heat; add scallion whites and a pinch of salt and cook until soft, 3 minutes. Add 1/4 cup water and all but 1/4 cup corn; simmer until corn is heated through and almost tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, transfer to a blender, and purée mixture until smooth, adding a little extra water if needed to get a thick but pourable texture.
• Heat the same skillet over high heat. Add butter and let melt. Add reserved 1/4 cup corn and cook until tender, 1 to 2 minutes. (It's O.K. if the butter browns; that deepens the flavor.) Add the corn purée and cook for 30 seconds to heat and combine the flavors.
• Reduce heat to medium. Add pasta and half the reserved pasta cooking water, tossing to coat. Cook for 1 minute, then add a little more of the pasta cooking water if the mixture seems too thick. Stir in 1/4 cup of the scallion greens, the Parmesan, the herbs, the red pepper flakes, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Sprinkle with fresh lemon juice to taste. Transfer to warm pasta bowls and garnish with more scallions, herbs, a drizzle of olive oil and black pepper.

PESTO ORECCHIETTE WITH GRILLED SHRIMP AND CORN

Steps:

• Preheat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat. Drizzle the shrimp and corn with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the corn and shrimp on the grill. Grill the shrimp until cooked through and evenly charred, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Grill the corn until charred, 5 to 8 minutes per side. Remove from the grill and cool. Cut the shrimp in half lengthwise, head to tail. Cut the corn kernels off the cobb.
• Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add a pasta insert. Pour in the pasta, stir, and boil until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the pasta insert with the pasta; keep the water boiling.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the 3 tablespoons oil, garlic and serrano pepper. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the grilled corn and shrimp. Dip the pasta insert back in the water briefly, then lift the insert out, shake off excess water and add the pasta to the skillet. Turn off the heat and add the butter, Basil Pesto and some Parmesan. Toss to coat. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
• Serve with more Parmesan sprinkled over the top. Garnish with basil leaves.
• Pulse the garlic, lemon zest, pistachios, 1/4 cup oil, salt and pepper in a food processor until coarse. Add the basil and another 1/4 cup oil and pulse a few times to combine. Blend the mixture while streaming in the remaining oil. Once combined, add the Parmesan and puree until. Reserve for pasta.

LINGUINE WITH LEMON CLAM SAUCE

Steps:

• I usually make this in my non-stick wok.
• Heat oil and butter on medium heat and saute onion and garlic until soft and tender, not brown.
• Add basil and bay leaf.
• Pour in wine, lemon rind, lemon juice and reserved clam juice.
• Simmer until reduced a little (by about a third).
• Add clams and heat through.
• Toss in the cooked linguine a little at a time (don't make the mistake of adding too much or the sauce will be lost!) and lastly add the cheese and parsley.
• Serve with more cheese on the side and red pepper flakes (optional) and warm garlic bread.

CLAM PASTA WITH BASIL AND HOT PEPPER

Steps:

• Make the purée: Grind basil and parsley together in a food processor. (Alternatively, hand chop herbs or pound them in a mortar.) Add garlic paste and 1/4 cup olive oil and pulse to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a rapid boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions, taking care to keep pasta quite al dente. It's best to use a timer, and drain pasta as soon as it's done.
• While pasta is cooking, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a heavy-bottomed wide pot with a lid over medium-high heat. Add minced garlic, fennel seed if using and pepperoncino, and let sizzle without browning, about 1 minute. Add clams, stirring to coat with a wooden spoon. Raise heat to high, add wine and put on the lid. Cook, covered, until all clams have opened, 5 to 7 minutes. Turn off heat. (Discard any clams that fail to open.)
• Add cooked pasta and basil purée to pot and toss gently to combine. Transfer to a serving bowl. Garnish with basil leaves and lemon wedges.

LINGUINE WITH RED PESTO CLAM SAUCE

Steps:

• Cook linguine in a large pot of salted water. Boil for 1 minute less than the instructions on the box say to cook it for. Strain but do not rinse.
• Meanwhile, heat olive oil over medium heat in a large frying pan. Add onion and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes or until translucent. Do not brown them.
• Strain the liquid from the clams and add liquid to pan. Set clams aside. Add the white wine and white wine vinegar and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 4 minutes. Lower heat slightly. Add clams, pesto, oregano and nutmeg to wine mixture and heat through. Stir until combined and salt and pepper to taste.
• Add warm pasta and parsley, heat through and toss to combine. Garnish with parmesan and parsley and serve immediately!