Here is an update to my 2009 recipe – I removed a lot of the dairy and upped the flavor.
Ingredients
30 to 36 Little Neck Clams, in shell, cleaned well and on ice. Do not place in iced water you will shock and kill them. Best to keep them in a metal bowl placed in another bowl with ice in the refrigerator.
1 pound of any dried pasta
2 cups of dry white wine
1 cup of fresh grated sheep Romano cheese
1 jar of clam Juice, organic (8oz jar)
6 to 8 cloves of garlic - minced
10 shallots, pealed and thinly sliced
Bunch of fresh Thyme, leaves removed from stems (about 1/3 of a cup)
Bunch of fresh Marjoram, leaves removed from stems (about 1/3 of a cup)
Bunch of fresh Italian parsley chopped
4 tablespoons of Earth Balance
2 Tablespoons of olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste
Directions
In a very large saucepot heat oil over medium heat, add garlic, and reduce to very low heat. Infuse oil with garlic for about 1 minute. Add earth balance to the pot, once completely melted add shallots. Cover and simmer over low heat for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
With a few minutes to go on the shallot, in another large pot heat up salted water for the pasta.
After 30 minutes now add the wine, clam juice, Thyme, Marjoram, salt, and pepper to taste and simmer for at least another 5 minutes. Once the pasta water is rapidly boiling turn the heat up on the shallots to high.
Now drop the dried pasta into the salted water and the clams into the shallots. Keep the shallots covered and boil clams and shallots for about 5 or minutes until all clams are open. Stir every few minutes to transfer the clams from the top to the bottom.
Once calms are open lower heat to low, remove pasta and drain and add pasta to the pot with the shallots and clams. Add cheese and toss.
Transfer the pasta, clams, and shallot sauce to a large serving bowl and add chopped parsley.