The only thing better than fresh tomatoes and pasta in the summer is fresh tomatoes and pasta with shellfish in the summer. Adapted from Bon Appetit, this incredibly easy fettuccine comes together in a matter of minutes, making the best of the season’s bounty. If you can, use fresh pasta here, although dry noodles will work just fine too.
- Salt
- 3 pounds clams, scrubbed
- 12 ounces fresh fettuccine
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 2 tablespoons white miso
- 12 ounces Sun Gold or cherry tomatoes, halved, divided
- 2 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
- Pepper
- 1/2 cup torn basil, plus more for serving
- Partially fill a large bowl with cool water, add a handful of salt, and mix to dissolve. Add clams; let sit 15 minutes to expel grit. Drain and rinse. Repeat with a fresh bowl of cool water and salt. Set aside.
- Cook fettuccine in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until 1 minute short of al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking liquid. Set pasta aside.
- Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium. Cook garlic, stirring, until golden, about 30 seconds. Pour in wine, add drained reserved clams, and increase heat to medium-high. Cover and cook, until clams are open, about 4 minutes. Transfer opened clams to a large bowl. Leave unopened clams in pot, re-cover, and continue to cook, checking every 2 minutes to remove any open clams; discard any unopened clams after 10 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium and stir in miso to dissolve. Add half of the tomatoes and cook, pressing occasionally with spoon to help break open, until some of the tomatoes burst and release their juices, about 4 minutes.
- Add butter, remaining tomatoes, and reserved pasta and cook, tossing and adding reserved pasta cooking liquid a little at a time if needed, until pasta is al dente and has soaked up some of the sauce (it will thicken as it sits). Taste and season with salt and pepper. Add clams along with any juices and basil and gently toss to combine.
- Arrange pasta on a serving platter and top with more basil.