Name: Angel Hair Pasta with Clams and Radicchio
Yield: Serves 2 as a main course, 4 as a first course
Ingredients: Salt and pepper; ½ cup water; ½ cup white wine; Optional: ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon chilli flakes; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 2 garlic cloves, minced; ½ pound imported Italian angel hair pasta or spaghettini; 1 medium head red radicchio (5 to 6 ounces); Lemon juice; About 2 dozen small littleneck clams, scrubbed; ½ cup minced flat-leaf parsley leaves

Preparation info

Serves
2
as a main course

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Vegetables from Amaranth to Zucchini

By Elizabeth Schneider

Published 2001

About

Threads of bright uncooked radicchio soften when tossed with hot pasta but keep their rich hue. They not only add welcome color but complement the sea-sweet flavor and help separate the pasta strands, lightening the overall texture. Those who love an overflowing bowl of pasta but don’t want to double their starch intake will enjoy the “volumized” effect.

If you can find small Manila clams, substitute a larger quantity of these juicy little gems and cook for a shorter period of time.