When I told a friend about this recipe, he said “you live in Seattle, why not use fresh clams?” Were I making this dish for a special occasion, I would take the extra time and multiple extra steps to use fresh clams, strain the broth, but this is an easy weekday recipe that can be on the table in about 30 minutes. Garlic scapes are the flowering stalks of growing up from the bulb of garlic. Their flavor is slightly milder than the bulbs, and adds a nice textural element to the dish as well. This time of year, a well stocked grocery store should have them, but if you can’t find them, chives will work. Traditionally this dish is made with white wine, but I thought the right beer would not only work just as well, but add a new element to this time honored classic. A nice Belgian style Saison immediately came to mind (probably because I was drinking one when I thought of this recipe). Saisons were originally brewed for the seasonal workers (saisoniers) in Belgium’s French speaking Wallonia region, harvesting juniper berries for gin production. This farmhouse ale is characteristically golden in color with hints of grass, lemon, and pepper. Sounds perfect for spaghetti and clams doesn’t it? I used the Silver City Katy Saison, as it was on draft at my local bar, but there are many fantastic examples of this style. Boulevard’s Saison Brett, Upright Brewing’s 4, Elysian’s Saison Elysee, are all great American versions, and if you want to go true Belgian, the Saison Dupont is the classic way to go. The recipe only uses a little bit of the beer, but the remainder of the bottle/growler will make an ideal accompaniment with the pasta.
Recipe serves two people
10 oz. Whole wheat spaghetti
2 cans clams, 1 can chopped, 1 can minced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 stalks garlic scapes, slivered
1 ½ tbsp. Dried dill
4 oz. beer
1 bunch of spinach rinsed and chopped
Small handful of parsley, chopped
1 tbsp. lemon juice
4 oz. grated parmesan cheese
1. Set a large pot of salted water on stove to boil. When water is boiling cook pasta according to package directions.
2. Heat a large sauté pan with a 2 tbsp. olive oil to medium high heat, and when the olive oil shimmers, add garlic.
3. When garlic is fragrant (about 2 minutes) add beer, cook for 3 minutes, add clams, juice and all, ½ the garlic scapes, and dill.
4. Simmer sauce with vigorous bubbling, until the sauce reduces and begins to thicken, and then turn down burner to medium.
5. When pasta is cooked reserve 1/3 cup of pasta water, and drain.
6. Place spinach on top of the sauce in sauté pan, add pasta, then pour in pasta water and lemon juice.
7. Toss with tongs to combine (if you are feeling adventurous you can flick the pan back and forth like the chefs do, but be careful!), adding parsley a little bit at a time.
8. Pour into bowls, and garnish with parmesan cheese and a little olive oil.
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