This recipe will serve two, so adjust if having company for dinner.
- 8 oz. linguine
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 2 minced cloves of garlic
- pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 18 littleneck clams, scrubbed *
- 1 tbsp. unsalted butter, freshly ground pepper
- 1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, plus 1 tbsp. thinly sliced stems
- Generous amount of grated Asiago cheese -optional
Bring a pot of generously salted water to a boil. Cook the linguine until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of the water. Drain the remaining water.
Heat the oil in a large pot over a medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds, making sure to stir continuously. Add the wine and bring to a simmer. Increase the temperature to medium-high and add the clams. Cover and cook until the clams open (4-6 minutes). Should any of the clams not open up, be sure to discard.
Stir in the butter, parsley and stems. Add the pasta and toss to coat completely. Add the pasta water, 1 tbsp. at a time until the sauce is loose and creamy. Top with a sprinkle of freshly ground pepper and grated Asiago cheese if you wish.
*TASTE first, then add a little salt if necessary as the clams are naturally salty and you do not want to ruin the dish.
Divide equally into your prettiest bowls, garlic toast and chilled wine. What a date night this could be. Enjoy.
Roasted Beet and Blood Orange Salad
Salads sound good, especially good when you want to close the blinds and block out the tail end of winter. Think warm, sunny days on the deck…at the lake…having a lazy Sunday….on and on! This will serve 6 guests.
- 6 small beets (3 yelllow and 3 red would be awesome)
- 2 large blood oranges
- Baby mixed spring greens
Dressing
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 medium, minced shalot
- 2 pinches of salt
- 2 pinches of pepper
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- few thyme leaves
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Wrap the beets individually in tin foil and bake about 1- 1 1/2 hours until fork tender. Remove beets from oven, unwrap and cool a few minutes before handling. Wearing gloves, peel and slice the beets into eighths. Set aside.
Peel the oranges and remove as much of the pith (white) as you can. Now with a grapefruit knife, remove each segment from their skin.
Place the segments in a bowl. If there is anything left in the skins, squeeze whatever juice you can and sprinkle over the segments in the bowl.
Make the dressing and whisk it all together until well blended.
Now on salad plates, place some of the greens in the centre of each plate. Place some of the beets pieces on each plate (if using yellow and red beets, mix them up), sprinkle the orange segments around the plate and drizzle the dressing over it all.
Warm rolls, glass of crisp, chilled wine…voila! Pure enjoyment in a meal.