Gemelli

with Clams and Pickled Jalapeños

Makes 4 servings

I’ve eaten many bowls of linguine with clams and spaghetti alle vongole, and every time I have the same complaints: I don’t like pulling clams out of the pasta to pick their meat out of their shells, and I think the noodles are too long—it’s hard to get everything in one bite when you’re twirling noodles around your fork. To solve this problem, I shuck clams before they go into the pasta, and use a shorter, chewier noodle like gemelli, which allows you to enjoy all of the dish’s flavors with every forkful. Consider this recipe your hall pass for experimenting with different shapes of pasta; just don’t tell your Italian grandmother.

Pickled Jalapeños

Makes about ½ cup

• 4 jalapeño chiles
• White wine vinegar

Thinly slice the jalapeños crosswise and discard the stems. Place in a small sterilized jar or storage container and cover with white wine vinegar. Cover and refrigerate for at least 12 hours before using. The pickled jalapeños will keep for about 2 weeks.

Soffritto

• ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 8 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 4 teaspoons kosher salt
• 4 medium onions, finely chopped
• 2 jalapeño chiles, finely chopped (with seeds)
• ¼ cup finely chopped oregano
• ¼ cup finely chopped parsley
• 3 tablespoons chopped rosemary

In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over low heat. Add the garlic and salt and cook, stirring, until the garlic is translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the onions and jalapeños and cook, stirring, until softened and lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the herbs. The soffritto can be made up to 1 day ahead and refrigerated until ready to use.

Clams

• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ medium white onion, thinly sliced
• 3 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• ½ Thai chile, split lengthwise
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 medium beefsteak tomatoes, cored and diced
• ¾ cup dry white wine
• 2 pounds littleneck clams, scrubbed
• 1 teaspoon chopped rosemary
• 2 teaspoons chopped oregano
• 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons chopped mint

In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the onion, garlic, chile, and salt and cook, stirring, until very soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the tomatoes and white wine and bring to a boil. Add the clams and cover the pot. Cook the clams, transferring them to a bowl as they open. Discard any clams that don’t open after 10 minutes. Once all the clams have been removed, stir the herbs into the pot, cover, and let cool for 10 to 15 minutes. Strain the tomato-clam broth through a fine-mesh strainer, pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Meanwhile, remove the clams from their shells and discard the shells.

For Serving

• 8 ounces gemelli pasta
• Tomato-clam broth (from Clams)
• 1 cup Soffritto
• Clams
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon chopped Pickled Jalapeños
• ½ red finger chile, thinly sliced
• ½ cup thinly sliced mint
• ½ cup Spicy Breadcrumbs

Cook the pasta in salted boiling water until al dente, then drain. Meanwhile, bring the tomato-clam broth and soffritto to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the clams and butter, stirring until the butter has melted. Bring the liquid to a simmer and add the drained pasta. Add the lemon juice, pickled jalapeños, and finger chile. Stir in the mint and divide the pasta among serving bowls. Sprinkle each serving with 2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs and serve.

The Takeaway

A traditional Italian soffritto is the “holy trinity” of carrots, onions, and celery slowly cooked to make the base for myriad sauces, soups, and stews. My version is anything but traditional, as it omits the carrots and celery and adds a bit of heat from jalapeños. You can make and freeze a big batch of this soffritto and use it anytime you need a quick foundation for pasta sauces, chili, braises, soups, or stews.