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spaghetti and clams – a laganella family favorite

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Strange to see how a good dinner and feasting reconciles everybody.
Samuel Pepys

Hi there,

When my children were young, family dinners were reserved for Sunday. Between Dom’s schedule as a busy General Practice Doctor and the boys schedule of sports and music, dinner was grab and go during the week.

But on Sundays, we always sat down together. Dom would make an afternoon run to the bakery and buy whatever was left on the shelves and I would try to figure out something that three very different sons could agree upon to eat.

This recipe for spaghetti and clams was one that all agreed upon. I have become a much more accomplished cook than I was back in the seventies. I must confess that back then I made this dish with canned clam sauce touched up with my own seasonings. But now, I make the sauce from scratch and, if I do say so myself, it is very tasty.

Laganella Family Favorite Spaghetti & Clams

Ingredients:

  • 1lb container of shucked clams in their liquor
  • 1 tablespoon of EVOO
  • 1 tablespoon of garlic paste
  • 1/4 teaspoon of hot pepper flakes (can be eliminated or adjusted to taste)
  • 1 small parmesan rind
  • 1 small onion diced
  • 1 cup of minced parsley
  • 1 cup of white wine, either pinot Grigio or sauvignon blanc
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Drain the clams and reserve the liquor
  2. In a large shallow pan sauté the onion, garlic, pepper, parsley and parmesan rind until onions are soft
  3. Add the clams and saute until barley cooked
  4. Add reserved clam liquor and wine to the pan
  5. Cook until slightly thickened and flavors have blended approximately 10 to 15 minutes
  6. While sauce is simmering start a pot of salted water for your spaghetti
  7. Cook spaghetti until al dente
  8. Drain spaghetti and add to the sauce pan and cook for another minute or two
  9. ENJOY!

Special Note: If you are preparing this for company, you can buy some tiny clams and add them to the sauce. When serving put the whole clams on top for a pretty presentation. If your family doesn’t care for hot pepper, just eliminate it. Be careful with the salt in the sauce because you are using a parmesan rind which is salty and inherently not Italian in nature. Most Italians cookbooks ban the use of cheese with seafood. But I think everything tastes better with cheese.

Talk soon, ❤️💕 Bernadette

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29 responses to “spaghetti and clams – a laganella family favorite”

      • I am sorry. I post on a site i do not own. It’s like a club. I am busy right now, but if you want to comment i can make you a member. 😀

  3. Darlene – British Columbia, Canada – Writer of children's stories, short stories and travel articles. https://twitter.com/#!/supermegawoman http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=201634059868404&id=631897250&ref=notif&notif_t=like#!/pages/Darlene-Foster-Writer/362236842733
    Darlene says:

    Hubby is allergic to seafood. But I would make it for me! looks great.

    Reply
      • Darlene – British Columbia, Canada – Writer of children's stories, short stories and travel articles. https://twitter.com/#!/supermegawoman http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=201634059868404&id=631897250&ref=notif&notif_t=like#!/pages/Darlene-Foster-Writer/362236842733
        Darlene says:

        Exactly, especially since I don´t eat meat and he is a meat and potatoes guy who doesn´t like vegetables.

  5. Dorothy's New Vintage Kitchen – I'm a writer, cook, gardener, photographer, poet, quilter, and accomplished daydreamer. I'm also a wife, mother, grandmother, sister. cousin, aunt, and friend, no particular order on any given day. I've been a writer all my life, newspaper reporter and columnist, radio news writer, and magazine contributor, and poet and short-story writer as the spirit moves. Now, I turn my attention to my cookbook, the blog, and a cooking column "Memorable Meals," which runs in our county newspaper. Besides my family, I love dogs, cats, good coffee, and my never-dwindling pile of books I intend to read. Our family ran a small Vermont Inn for 18 years, with our focus on local, organic ingredients. After many years of daily serving up of our local delicacies, cooking classes, and catering, we are now only open for special events, and the odd cooking class as the spirit moves me. We also host musicians and artists, having helped produce a musical festival and other musical events for nearly 20 years. Many incredible artists have found a place at our table. Wonderful experiences, we will treasure always. My family and friends are my practice subjects. With a family that includes nut, peanut, tree fruit, and vegetable allergies, gluten intolerance, dairy intolerance, vegetarians, vegans, heart conscious, and a couple of picky eaters, there has to be a few quick tricks in the book to keep everyone fed and happy! Personally, I do not eat red meat or most dairy (usually) for health reasons, making the occasional exception at Thanksgiving and Christmas or our anniversary if the duck is locally raised. I do eat fish and seafood, so I try to come up with alternatives and substitutions when available. I serve local organic eggs and cheeses to my family who can tolerate dairy (My husband recently had a heart attack, and I need to watch my own cholesterol so I am careful, but have been known to let a little piece of really good cheese accidentally fall on my plate!). I believe strongly that eating in a way that is good for our planet is also good for our bodies! I cook by the seasons and draw on inspiration from the strong and talented women in my family who came before me, as well as the youth in the family who look at the world with fresh eyes. Food links us all, whether sharing a meal, cooking it together, or writing about it for others to enjoy. I love taking an old recipe and giving it a modern spin, especially if I can make it a littler healthier and use foods that are kinder to the Earth and to our bodies. I believe strongly in sustainable, delicious eating of whole foods, and the wonderful flavors we have at our fingertips! And finally, I love conversing with all the talented cooks and chefs out there who dot the globe! It's a wonderful, world full of culinary pen pals, and I cherish them all! XXXOOO Dorothy
    Dorothy’s New Vintage Kitchen says:

    Ah! One of my favorites, and we all like this in my family too!

    Reply
  6. Jacqui Murray – Laguna Hills, CA. – Jacqui Murray is the author of the popular prehistoric fiction saga, Man vs. Nature which explores seminal events in man’s evolution one trilogy at a time. She is also the author of the Rowe-Delamagente thrillers and Building a Midshipman, the story of her daughter’s journey from high school to United States Naval Academy. Her non-fiction includes over a hundred books on integrating tech into education, reviews as an Amazon Vine Voice, and a freelance journalist on tech ed topics. Look for her next prehistoric fiction, Savage Land.
    Jacqui Murray says:

    I haven’t had anything like this in a while. Yum!

    Reply
  8. Time Traveler of Life – Where my Motor Home is! – Biography Creating worlds, characters, and wielding power like a madwoman, making my characters happy, sad, angry, and some of them with no redeeming qualities. I probably shouldn’t admit this, but I sometimes laugh out loud when I am writing a scene, and I have been known to cry when one of my favorites has to die. I am a left-handed Gemini, what do you expect? Reading bedtime stories to my two children until they fell asleep or until they just told me to go away, was fun. Making up wild stories for my grandchild, and creating Halloween costumes from Cowboys to a Dragon, was another favorite thing to do. I missed that so much when they were grown, that I started writing. My yearly newsletters frequently were drafted third-person by my Love Birds, Miranda our motorhome, and by Sir Fit the White Knight, our faithful Honda. Throughout the years, some of my creative talents centered around writing letters of complaint expressing my displeasure with services or products. One crucial, at least to my Son, was a note to our local school bus driver petitioning her to allow him back on the bus. He was kicked off for making an obscene gesture at his buddy. I reminded her that it was not directed at her, and that “obscenity can be in the eye of the beholder,” kids use that gesture as a greeting. He rode the bus until he graduated. I loved driving my English teacher crazy. Leaving a “continued next week” at the end of my five handwritten pages required each week. He was one of many people that suggested I “do something about my writing.” I graduated from the School of Hard Knocks at the top of my class. After 30 years, in the trenches as a Real Estate Professional, I have found that truth is stranger than fiction. My books are filled with characters I met in that profession. Their names were changed to protect the guilty. Others were from people we met traveling around the country in Miranda, our Motorhome. I am married nearly 60 years to the love of my life, Shirl, and partner-produced two exceptionally talented children, and one grandchild who is our pride and joy.
    Time Traveler of Life says:

    I stole the recipe, and as you know I am from New England and will try to faithfully reproduce this for my Hubby and me.

    Reply
      • Time Traveler of Life – Where my Motor Home is! – Biography Creating worlds, characters, and wielding power like a madwoman, making my characters happy, sad, angry, and some of them with no redeeming qualities. I probably shouldn’t admit this, but I sometimes laugh out loud when I am writing a scene, and I have been known to cry when one of my favorites has to die. I am a left-handed Gemini, what do you expect? Reading bedtime stories to my two children until they fell asleep or until they just told me to go away, was fun. Making up wild stories for my grandchild, and creating Halloween costumes from Cowboys to a Dragon, was another favorite thing to do. I missed that so much when they were grown, that I started writing. My yearly newsletters frequently were drafted third-person by my Love Birds, Miranda our motorhome, and by Sir Fit the White Knight, our faithful Honda. Throughout the years, some of my creative talents centered around writing letters of complaint expressing my displeasure with services or products. One crucial, at least to my Son, was a note to our local school bus driver petitioning her to allow him back on the bus. He was kicked off for making an obscene gesture at his buddy. I reminded her that it was not directed at her, and that “obscenity can be in the eye of the beholder,” kids use that gesture as a greeting. He rode the bus until he graduated. I loved driving my English teacher crazy. Leaving a “continued next week” at the end of my five handwritten pages required each week. He was one of many people that suggested I “do something about my writing.” I graduated from the School of Hard Knocks at the top of my class. After 30 years, in the trenches as a Real Estate Professional, I have found that truth is stranger than fiction. My books are filled with characters I met in that profession. Their names were changed to protect the guilty. Others were from people we met traveling around the country in Miranda, our Motorhome. I am married nearly 60 years to the love of my life, Shirl, and partner-produced two exceptionally talented children, and one grandchild who is our pride and joy.
        Time Traveler of Life says:

        We aren’t living in Maine anymore we are in Phoenix,AZ. Will do the best we can.

  9. Tanooki – On her way to home cooking culinary journey. When there is a yummy homemade food, there is a smile:) & food coma;)
    Tanooki says:

    Aww you are making me craving for clam pasta! My husband don’t like clams so I’m taking a note as wishlist for my eat-alone-party-dinner!

    Reply
  11. the Painted Apron – Life is all about creativity for me, as long as I'm creating something I am happy! I hope I will inspire your daily life and give you ideas for your own wonderful creations!
    the Painted Apron says:

    I smiled when I read about your 3 boys having different tastes, as a mom of 3 also I can certainly relate! My 3 would always eat buttered noodles with Parmesan, so your sweet story brought back lots of memories 🙂 Your dish sounds delicious!
    Jenna

    Reply

  12. This sounds delicious! I have put clams on pizza, and your recipe makes me crave them on pasta! I love the vintage picture of Dom and your boys…so sweet!

    Reply
  14. Chef Mimi – As a self-taught home cook, with many years in the culinary profession, I am passionate about all things food-related. Especially eating!
    chef mimi says:

    What a great photo! Love this post, and I love this pasta!

    Reply

  15. I love clams and I love pasta, what a great combination. I remember those days when we raised children. I only had one boy.

    Reply

  16. What an fabulous recipe! We love clams and I make a white sauce spaghetti clam dish but I will have to try this one. Thank you for your recipe.

    Reply
  17. Karen – New England – I travel the back roads of the world, sharing great food and interesting places and enjoyable pastimes.
    Karen says:

    Your comment about the cheese made me smile. When we were in Italy with friends at a restaurant, our friend asked for Parmesan cheese for his clam sauce and the waiter refused to serve him any…”no cheese with seafood” he told him.

    Reply

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