It’s been too long since we’ve had a good dish of pasta. For this recipe, I decided to combine the elements I love about clam chowder, carbonara, and clam sauce. It was a dish of pure pleasure. There are lots of additions and substitutions you can make to personalize it! When I reheated a portion, the next day, I topped it with a fried egg.
Pasta with Creamy Bacon and Clam Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 lb pork belly, bacon, or pancetta, sliced into small thin strips
- 2-3 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
- 2-3 TBSP butter
- 8 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1/2 cup cream
- 4 oz cream cheese, room temp
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- 1 TBSP chopped oregano leaves
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- Salt and pepper
- 23 oz (canned) clams, whole and minced
- 1 TBSP chopped thyme leaves
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 lb pasta, cooked to al dente (reserve 1 cup cooking liquid)
Instructions
- In large skillet, cook bacon until crisp. Remove all but 1 TBSP of the rendered fat.
- Add oil, butter, and garlic to pan. Cook until you can smell the garlic (do not brown).
- Add wine, cream, cream cheese, and all liquid from the clams. Simmer and reduce until just slightly thickened.
- Add parsley, oregano, smoked paprika, salt and pepper, and clams. Heat thoroughly.
- Add thyme, red pepper flakes, and pasta. Toss well.
- Delicious as is, or with fried egg on top!
- Substitutions: Use scallops, shrimp, or crab, and use broth or bottled clam juice for liquid.