Angel Hair Pasta with Clams, Cherry Tomatoes, and Basil Recipe

Name: Angel Hair Pasta with Clams, Cherry Tomatoes, and Basil
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 3
Ingredients: 30 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 4 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped, divided; 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil; 1/2 cup sliced shallots; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 2 6-ounce cans chopped clams (and their juices); 8 ounces capellini or angel hair pasta; Salt for the pasta water

Hello summer gardeners, have your tomatoes come in yet? Our plants are just beginning to bear ripe tomatoes, and if I can just keep the hornworms at bay (Constant Vigilance!) we'll have a wondrous crop.

Our basil got a late start but is now happily bursting out of the raised beds, requiring daily snipping. Those two—tomatoes and basil—such perfect partners in the garden, and on the plate.

Angel Hair Pasta with Clams and Cherry Tomatoes — Elise Bauer

Here's a quick and easy, kid-pleasing angel hair pasta dish we made recently with chopped canned clams and cherry tomatoes and basil from the garden. I say "kid pleasing" because my 16-year old nephew gobbled it up and came back for more. He's sort of a big kid now, but I think that younger ones would like this too.

How to Cook with Canned Clams

Angel Hair Pasta with Clams, Cherry Tomatoes, and Basil

Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 15 mins

Total Time 30 mins

Servings 2 to 3 servings

Save time by prepping the shallots, garlic, tomatoes, and basil while the water for the pasta is heating up.

30 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped, divided
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup shallots, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 (6-ounce) cans chopped clams (and their juices)
8 ounces capellini or angel hair pasta
Salt, for the pasta water

Toss cherries with salt and basil:

Place sliced cherry tomatoes in a bowl. Toss with 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 2 Tbsp of the chopped fresh basil. Set aside.
Boil salted water, prep shallots and garlic:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (4 quarts of water, 2 Tbsp salt). While the water is coming to a boil, prep the shallots and garlic and start the sauce.
Make tomato clam sauce:

Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan on medium heat. Add the sliced shallots and cook until translucent, stirring often. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more.

Add the tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes. Add the chopped clams with their juices.

Reduce the heat to low and let simmer at a low temperature while the pasta is cooking in the next step.

Elise Bauer

Elise Bauer
Cook the pasta:

Once the salted pasta water comes to a rolling boil, add pasta and cook, uncovered at high heat until al dente, no more than 2 minutes.

Drain the pasta, reserving 1/4 cup of the pasta water. Add the 1/4 cup of pasta water to the sauce in the sauté pan.

Elise Bauer

Elise Bauer
Combine pasta and sauce:

Add the pasta to the cherry tomato mixture and toss to combine. Stir in the remaining 2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil.

Serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
515	Calories
21g	Fat
49g	Carbs
34g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2 to 3
Amount per serving
Calories	515
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 21g	27%
Saturated Fat 3g	15%
Cholesterol 57mg	19%
Sodium 502mg	22%
Total Carbohydrate 49g	18%
Dietary Fiber 4g	15%
Total Sugars 13g
Protein 34g
Vitamin C 10mg	50%
Calcium 110mg	8%
Iron 5mg	27%
Potassium 1048mg	22%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.