Linguine with Red Clam Sauce
by Missy Chase Lapine
I’ve secretly added sardines, the world’s healthiest fish, to this classic red clam sauce. They enhance the taste as well as the nutritional profile of this dish. But kids notoriously turn their noses up to this heart-healthy fish, which is why you have to get sneaky!
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium-size onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
- 2 to 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1⁄2 cup Orange Puree (see Make-Ahead Recipe, below)
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 (8-ounce) bottle clam juice
- 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 2 (61⁄2-ounce) cans chopped clams, drained
- 1 (3- to 4-ounce) can skinless and boneless sardines, packed in water, drained
- Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 1⁄4 to 1⁄2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes, to taste
- 1 pound linguine, ideally whole wheat, freshly cooked
Heat the oil over medium heat in a deep skillet or earthenware pot. Add the onion and cook until they are slightly translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, Orange Puree, tomato paste, clam juice, diced tomatoes, and clams. Stir to combine well. Add the sardines, breaking them up with the spoon, slightly mashing into the pot so there are no remaining pieces visible. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. Season with salt, freshly ground pepper, and red pepper flakes, to taste.
Add the linguine to the sauce and toss to coat. Transfer to a large serving bowl and serve.
- 1 medium sweet potato or yam, peeled and coarsely chopped
- 3 medium to large carrots, peeled and sliced into thick chunks
- 2 to 3 tablespoons water
Makes about 2 cups of puree
In a medium-sized pot, cover the sweet potatoes and carrots with cold water and boil for about 20 minutes, until carrots are very tender. If the carrots aren’t thoroughly cooked, they’ll leave telltale little nuggets of vegetables in recipes, which will reveal their presence to your man—a gigantic no-no for the Sneaky Chef.
Drain the sweet potatoes and carrots and put them in the food processor with two tablespoons of water. Puree on high until smooth; no pieces of carrots or potatoes should remain. Stop
occasionally to push the contents to the bottom. If necessary, use another tablespoon of water to smooth out the puree, but the less water, the better.
This recipe makes about 2 cups of puree; double it if you want to store another 2 cups. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or you can freeze 1⁄4-cup portions in sealed plastic bags or small plastic containers.
Missy Chase Lapine is the former publisher of Eating Well magazine. A mother of two young daughters, she knows how picky kids can be—and she’s got the kitchen experiments to prove it! She is on the Culinary Arts facility of The New School, in New York City, and also gives cooking classes and coaching to busy families hoping to learn how to eat healthier. Her book, The Sneaky Chef, is published by Running Press. Her next book The Sneaky Chef: How to Cheat on Your Man (In the Kitchen) will be out in April 2008. You can learn more about Missy at her website, www.thesneakychef.com
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