Clams & Mussels
Mussels & Clams with Spaghetti in a Meyer Lemon White Wine Sauce
In this dish, the shell fish is the star! That is why I refer to the Mussels and Clams first in the title. This dish is very simple, but delivers bright flavor that is great for both a family dinner and for company. Many folks are intimidated to cook shell fish at home. If that is the case for you, I hope this recipe will show you just how easy it is to make a good shell fish dish. I am a big advocate of original grains, so I serve this dish with gluten free spaghetti. I was inspired to create this dish after strolling through Pike Place Market here in Seattle. I spotted the beautiful mussels and clams featured in this dish and just had to bring them home. When I made this for my family, we all ate the remaining sauce with spoons because it was so tasty. I hope you love this dish and that it inspires you to keep cooking shell fish. Shell fish is a great source of lean protein and is rather inexpensive in costal communities. I recommend using fresh, live, wild shell fish rather than frozen.
- Yield: 6 people 1x
- Category: Dinner, Main Dish
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb fresh clams such as Manilla, Little Neck or Cherry Stone (scrubbed clean)
- 1 lb fresh mussels (de-bearded and scrubbed)
- 1 Meyer lemon (zested, halved, one half left in tact and the other cut into wedges)
- 1 1/2 t butter (*optional*)
- 1 T olive or avocado oil
- 1 lb gluten free spaghetti
- 2 shallots (thinly sliced)
- 6 small garlic cloves (peeled and thinly sliced)
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 2 small fresh rosemary stalks (minced)
- 1 t course salt (such as Himalayan Pink Salt)
- 1 1/2 t Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- For the shell fish: Heat a large deep saute pan over medium-high heat, add the butter and the oil.
- Once the butter is melted, add the shallots and saute for approximately 2 minutes until they become soft then add the garlic and rosemary and saute for 2 more minutes.
- Add the clams first, (their shells are thicker so they take a few minutes longer to open than the mussels). Saute the clams for approximately 5 minutes.
- Then, add the mussels and the juice from half of the Meyer lemon. Saute one minute, stirring the shell fish and shaking the pan often, then add the white wine.
- Cover the pan and steam the shell fish until the mussels and clams are open fully. Shake the pan often to help the shell fish open, approximately 3-5 minutes more.
- Serve the clams and mussels over the cooked gluten free spaghetti. Place some spaghetti on a dinner plate and spoon the shell fish over the top of the spaghetti, being sure to add a lot of the delicious sauce. Garnish the dish with the lemon zest and a lemon wedge. Squeeze the lemon over the top just prior to eating, this helps the flavors pop in the dish. Enjoy!
Mussels & Clams with Spaghetti in a Meyer Lemon White Wine Sauce – In this dish, the shell fish is the star! That is why I refer to the Mussels and Clams first in the title. This dish is very simple, but delivers bright flavor that is great for both a family dinner and for company. Many folks are intimidated to cook shell fish at home. If that is the case for you, I hope this recipe will show you just how easy it is to make a good shell fish dish. I am a big advocate of original grains, so I serve this dish with gluten free spaghetti. I was inspired to create this dish after strolling through Pike Place Market here in Seattle. I spotted the beautiful mussels and clams featured in this dish and just had to bring them home. When I made this for my family, we all ate the remaining sauce with spoons because it was so tasty. I hope you love this dish and that it inspires you to keep cooking shell fish. Shell fish is a great source of lean protein and is rather inexpensive in costal communities. I recommend using fresh, live, wild shell fish rather than frozen. – fresh clams such as Manilla, Little Neck or Cherry Stone (scrubbed clean), fresh mussels (de-bearded and scrubbed), Meyer lemon (zested, halved, one half left in tact and the other cut into wedges), butter (*optional*), olive or avocado oil, gluten free spaghetti, shallots (thinly sliced), garlic cloves (peeled and thinly sliced), dry white wine, fresh rosemary stalks (minced), course salt (such as Himalayan Pink Salt), Freshly ground black pepper, , For the shell fish: Heat a large deep saute pan over medium-high heat, add the butter and the oil.; Once the butter is melted, add the shallots and saute for approximately 2 minutes until they become soft then add the garlic and rosemary and saute for 2 more minutes.; Add the clams first, (their shells are thicker so they take a few minutes longer to open than the mussels). Saute the clams for approximately 5 minutes.; Then, add the mussels and the juice from half of the Meyer lemon. Saute one minute, stirring the shell fish and shaking the pan often, then add the white wine.; Cover the pan and steam the shell fish until the mussels and clams are open fully. Shake the pan often to help the shell fish open, approximately 3-5 minutes more.; Serve the clams and mussels over the cooked gluten free spaghetti. Place some spaghetti on a dinner plate and spoon the shell fish over the top of the spaghetti, being sure to add a lot of the delicious sauce. Garnish the dish with the lemon zest and a lemon wedge. Squeeze the lemon over the top just prior to eating, this helps the flavors pop in the dish. Enjoy!; ; – – Dinner – Main Dish – Italian – Dairy Free – Gluten Free – Healthy Comfort Food – Lectin Free – Pescatarian