Seafood Pasta Aglio e Olio (Printable version)

Italian pasta tossed with shrimp, clams, garlic, olive oil, fresh parsley, and a touch of chili.

# What You'll Need:

→ Seafood

01 - 9 oz large shrimp, peeled and deveined
02 - 1 lb fresh clams, scrubbed and rinsed

→ Pasta

03 - 14 oz spaghetti

→ Aromatics & Flavorings

04 - 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
05 - 5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
06 - 0.5 to 1 tsp red chili flakes, to taste
07 - 0.5 cup dry white wine
08 - 1 lemon, zested and juiced
09 - 0.25 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
10 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Garnish (optional)

11 - Additional chopped parsley
12 - Lemon wedges

# Directions:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook spaghetti until al dente according to package directions. Reserve 0.5 cup pasta water, then drain.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté sliced garlic and chili flakes until garlic turns golden and fragrant, approximately 1 minute, avoiding any burning.
03 - Add shrimp to the skillet and sauté for 2 minutes until they just turn pink. Remove shrimp and set aside.
04 - Add clams and white wine to the skillet. Cover and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, shaking pan occasionally, until clams open. Discard any unopened clams.
05 - Return shrimp to skillet. Add drained pasta, lemon zest, lemon juice, and most parsley. Toss thoroughly, incorporating reserved pasta water as needed to achieve a silky sauce consistency.
06 - Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately, garnished with remaining parsley and lemon wedges if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It's ready in 35 minutes but tastes like you spent all afternoon on it.
  • The garlic oil becomes this incredible silky sauce without any cream, just pure flavor and technique.
  • Fresh seafood and bright lemon make you feel like you're eating something genuinely good for you.
02 -
  • Don't walk away when the garlic is cooking—the difference between golden and burnt happens in about 15 seconds, and burnt garlic will ruin the whole dish.
  • Reserve your pasta water before you drain, or you'll find yourself standing there with no starchy liquid to create that sauce and nothing but regret.
  • Clams vary wildly in how long they take to open; some do it immediately and others are slowpokes, so don't panic if they're not all open in 3 minutes, but do discard any that never open because those are done for.
03 -
  • A good skillet with a lid changes everything here—it distributes heat evenly and makes the clams steam properly instead of just sitting in liquid.
  • Taste your pasta water before you add it to the pan; if it's too salty you can use regular water instead, but usually it's the right balance.
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