Clam Noodles with Crispy Shallots
Clams are the perfect pairing for pasta, along with crispy shallots and a herbal ginger-soy sauce. Affordable, delicious, and packed with protein, this recipe can be the star of your meal.
Makes 2 servings
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
Crispy shallots:
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced crosswise, about 1/16-inch thick or the thickness of a quarter (see Notes)
⅛ teaspoon salt
Noodles with clams:
5 ounces dried linguine or spaghetti pasta
1-inch piece of ginger, peeled, cut into thin strips
2 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
¼ fresh serrano chilli pepper, seeded, thinly sliced (optional)
12 ounces frozen cooked clams, defrosted (or 1 pound of fresh/frozen clams or mussels in the shell)
2 tablespoons soy sauce, reduced sodium
5 sprigs fresh cilantro, leaves and stems, roughly chopped (about 2 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon sugar
Instructions:
To make crispy shallots: Line a baking sheet with paper towels. Rest a fine-mesh strainer over a medium, heat-proof mixing bowl. Heat 3 tablespoons of canola oil and sliced shallots in a medium saute pan over medium-high heat until they start to bubble (about 1 minute). Turn the heat to medium and cook while stirring until they turn light golden brown (about 5 minutes). Turn down the heat if they darken too quickly. Strain shallots over the strainer in the mixing bowl, then transfer to the paper towel-lined baking sheet and season with salt. Reserve the oil for the noodles.
To make the Noodles with clams: Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water, until “al dente”, according to the package instructions. Drain noodles, rinse with cold water, and set aside. Heat a medium skillet or wok over medium heat. Add reserved shallot oil, ginger, and serrano chilli pepper (optional). Cook for 30 seconds while stirring often. Increase the heat to medium-high and add garlic, immediately followed by the clams. Cook while stirring (about 5 minutes if using cooked clams, or about 10 minutes or until clams open if using clams in the shell.) Add soy sauce, cilantro, sugar, and cooked pasta. Stir to combine, then remove from heat.
Transfer noodles with clams into serving bowls, making sure to pour the remaining sauce over each bowl. Top with crispy shallots and serve.
Notes:
Crispy shallots can be substituted with 3 tablespoons of store-bought crispy fried shallots or onions (found in online or East Asian grocery stores).
To defrost frozen cooked clams more quickly, place clams (still in the unopened plastic package) in a bowl and soak them with cold water for 10 minutes.
Nutritional information per serving:
690 calories, 26 g total fat, 2 g saturated fat, 920 mg sodium, 111 mg cholesterol, 63 g carbohydrate, 3 g fibre, 5 g total sugar, 54 g protein
Recipe by Cindy Chou, RDN, dietitian and chef at The Sound of Cooking®