Orecchiette with Clam Sauce & Broccoli

If you follow me on instagram, you may have noticed that I make these delicious pantry pasta meals about once a week, and I RARELY make a red sauce with tomatoes.

Same goes for pizza, I always order the white pie.  I can no longer eat a long simmered tomato sauce (I can still eat a quick sauce made with cherry tomatoes or passata).    I get the worst indigestion and agita.    People have suggested "take a Nexium before you indulge", but I am not the medicating kind, so I just skip it.

Back to the pasta dish......

I changed up my linguine and clam sauce by using orecchiette (little ears) and broccoli for some green.

We loved this so much it is now a "thing".

I buy these little baby clams in a jar from Italy.  There are no preservatives and they come in their own juices.   You can find them at most Italian markets.

DO NOT SKIP THE ANCHOVIES.....it's what makes this dish sing.

Here is how I make it:

1/2 lb. orecchiette pasta

small head of broccoli, cut into small florets

3 anchovies

2 garlic cloves, chopped

olive oil

hot pepper flakes

1/4 cup of white wine

1 jar of Italian baby clams with juice

fresh parsley to garnish

While the pasta is cooking, make your sauce.

Heat a large skillet, (big enough to hold your pasta and sauce) with olive oil and cook the garlic and anchovy on low-medium heat for 2 minutes.

Add in the broccoli and saute a minute or two, then add in the white wine.  Cook about 5 minutes until the broccoli is turning bright green.  

Next, add in the baby clams with their juices and raise the heat to high.   

Simmer with the broccoli for about 5 minutes total.

Add the cooked pasta to the pot (I don't drain my pasta, I like some of the starchy water to cling to the macaroni).

Toss everything together and serve immediately.

I don't add cheese to my clam sauce....but you do what you like (sacrilegious).   

Feel free to put in this in the rotation, it's that good.