Seafood Pasta Aglio e Olio (Printable Version)

Italian pasta tossed with shrimp, clams, garlic, chili, lemon, and parsley for bright, savory flavors.

# Components:

→ 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 - 1/2–1 tsp red chili flakes, to taste
07 - 1/2 cup dry white wine
08 - 1 lemon, zested and juiced
09 - 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
10 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Garnish (optional)

11 - Additional chopped parsley
12 - Lemon wedges

# Method Steps:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti until al dente, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water before draining.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and chili flakes; sauté until garlic is fragrant and golden, about 1 minute, avoiding burning.
03 - Add shrimp to the skillet and sauté for 2 minutes until they turn just pink. Remove shrimp and set aside.
04 - Add clams and white wine to the skillet. Cover and cook, shaking occasionally, for 3–5 minutes until clams open. Discard any unopened clams.
05 - Return shrimp to the skillet. Add drained pasta, lemon zest, lemon juice, and most parsley. Toss thoroughly, adding reserved pasta water as needed to create a silky sauce.
06 - Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Serve immediately, garnished with additional parsley and lemon wedges if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Ready in under 35 minutes but tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen.
  • The pasta water creates its own silky sauce, so you don't need cream or butter to feel indulgent.
  • Clams and shrimp cook so fast that everything stays tender and the seafood flavor stays bright.
02 -
  • Never let the garlic brown—medium heat and constant attention are your friends, and burnt garlic will ruin the entire dish in seconds.
  • Reserve your pasta water before you drain; that starchy liquid is what creates the silky sauce, not cream.
  • Buy clams the day you cook them; frozen clams lose their briny flavor and can be gritty.
03 -
  • Slice your garlic thin and by hand; food processors make it paste-like, and thin slices caramelize more evenly than chunks.
  • Keep that skillet lid handy when the clams go in—it traps steam and helps them open faster and more reliably.
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