Roasted Pepper Cream Pasta
Clams
Elevate your pasta night with this vibrant roasted pepper cream sauce, finished with fresh clams for a perfect balance of smoky sweetness and briny ocean flavor.
This roasted pepper cream pasta is a masterclass in building layers of flavor. By starting with a fragrant base of sautéed aromatics and steam-cooking clams in white wine, we create a complex, savory foundation before folding in a rich, velvety roasted pepper sauce. The result is a sophisticated yet comforting dish that tastes like a restaurant-quality meal made right in your own kitchen.
Ingredients
- 200 g pasta
- 200 g fresh clams
- 150 g roasted pepper sauce
- 90 g heavy cream
- 80 g white wine
- 15 g onion
- 15 g garlic
- 2 bay leaves
- to taste olive oil
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
- to taste sugar
- optional Parmesan cheese
- optional fresh microgreens
Instructions
- 1Boil the pasta
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then add salt and two bay leaves to infuse fragrance. Add the pasta and cook for approximately 7 minutes until al dente. Once cooked, remove the pasta and toss it with a little olive oil to prevent it from sticking together.
Tip: Keep the pasta water; it is full of starch and excellent for thinning your sauce later. - 2Sauté the aromatics
Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add 15g of chopped onion and 15g of minced garlic. Sauté the mixture until fragrant and the onions turn translucent, ensuring they do not burn.
Tip: Sautéing the aromatics until they are just fragrant releases their essential oils, forming the flavor base for the sauce. - 3Add the clams
Place 200g of fresh, cleaned clams into the pan with the sautéed onions and garlic. Stir briefly to coat the clams in the aromatic oil.
Tip: Ensure your clams are thoroughly scrubbed and grit-free before adding them to the pan. - 4Steam with white wine
Pour 80g of white wine into the pan over the clams. Immediately cover the pan with a lid to trap the steam and allow the clams to cook until they open naturally.
Tip: Covering the pan is crucial to create enough steam to cook the clams evenly. - 5Incorporate the pepper sauce
After removing the opened clams, add 150g of roasted pepper sauce to the pan. Stir evenly to incorporate the sauce with the existing aromatic base from the clams.
Tip: Add a ladle of the pasta cooking water if the sauce appears too thick, which will help it coat the pasta better later. - 6Combine pasta and sauce
Add 200g of the pre-cooked pasta into the pan with the roasted pepper sauce. Stir thoroughly to ensure every strand is evenly coated and heated through.
Tip: Tossing the pasta in the sauce over heat allows the noodles to absorb some of the flavor for a cohesive dish. - 7Finish the pasta with cream
Add the heavy cream to the pan containing the pasta and roasted pepper sauce. Stir continuously over medium heat until the sauce is creamy and thoroughly coats the pasta.
Tip: Be careful not to overcook the cream; add it towards the end to maintain a velvety, smooth texture.
