How to Make the Perfect Simple Clam Sauce for Your Pasta - Koji Cooks' Recipe

PASTA WITH SIMPLE CLAM SAUCE

Many years ago, while I was at Parsons in Manhattan, I worked at a fantastic seafood restaurant called Pesca in Gramercy Park. It was an exceptional place, serving only seafood, exquisitely prepared by Chef Jeffery. One of his innovative dishes featured cheese ravioli with scallops, soy sauce, butter, and olive oil—a delicious creation. Over the years, I've often used this combination, with the addition of sake to countless pasta dishes, including this simple recipe that lets the clams shine. Cheese and soy sauce might sound unusual, but they complement each other wonderfully!

PASTA WITH CLAM SAUCE - Recipe (serves 4)

40 cleaned littleneck clams

1 pound of spaghetti or linguine cooked al dente and drained - reserving *1 cup of the pasta cooking water.

3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons of sweet butter

2 tablespoons of minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon chili flakes

1 cup of sake

*1 cup of pasta cooking water

3 tablespoons light colored soy sauce - (not lite soy sauce)

1.5 cups of fresh grated parmesan cheese - divided.

1 cup of chopped Italian parsley

1-2 teaspoons sea salt - to taste.

40 grinds of fresh black pepper

METHOD

Set your cooked pasta aside at room temperature. Heat a large Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat, then add the olive oil and butter to melt. Stir in the garlic, chili flakes, and sake, and let it simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add the pasta water and soy sauce, increase the heat to high, and reduce the mixture by a quarter, add the clams, cover and cook about 5 minutes or until the clams fully open. Lower the heat to medium-high, mix in the pasta, half of the Parmesan cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper. Once it's hot, serve with the remaining Parmesan cheese.