Ingredients

Coarse salt
12 ounces linguine
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
3/4 cup dry white wine
2 pounds small clams (50 to 55), such as Manila, rinsed and scrubbed
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup fresh parsley, coarsely chopped

Directions

1. In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta 1 minute less than package instructions for al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water; drain pasta. Set aside.
2. While pasta cooks, heat oil over medium in a Dutch oven or 5-quart heavy pot with a lid. Add onion, garlic, and red-pepper flakes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft, 5 to 7 minutes.
3. Add wine, and bring to a boil; cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half, about 2 minutes.
4. Add clams; cover, and simmer, shaking pot occasionally, until clams open wide, 3 to 5 minutes. (Discard any that haven't opened after 5 minutes.)
5. Add pasta to clam mixture in pot; continue to cook until pasta is al dente, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in butter and parsley. Add some reserved pasta water to thin sauce if necessary; season with salt.

Serves 4.

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Ingredients

2 slices bacon
2 ribs celery, thinly sliced
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
13 ounces chopped clams (fresh or canned)
3/4 cup bottled clam juice
1 large potato, peeled and cubed
2 carrots, chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes
3 drops hot-pepper sauce, such as Tabasco

Directions

1. Cook the bacon in a large saucepan over medium heat until crisp. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. Crumble into a small bowl. Set aside.
2. Add the celery, onion, and garlic to the bacon drippings in the saucepan. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until the onion and celery are tender.
3. Drain the juice from the clams into a small bowl. Set the clams aside and add the juice to the onion mixture. Stir in the bottled clam juice, potato, carrots, thyme, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
4. stir in the tomatoes (with juice). Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, add the reserved clams, cover, and simmer for 8 minutes. Discard the bay leaf. Season with the hot-pepper sauce. Stir in the bacon.

Serves 4.

Nutritional information per serving: Calories 212, Fat 5 g, Saturated Fat 2 g, Cholesterol 26 g, Sodium 983 mg, Carbohydrates 31 g, Total Sugars 7 g, Dietary Fiber 5 g, Protein 12 g.

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Ingredients

1 can Italian-style large white beans, drained and rinsed
1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup homemade breadcrumbs

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. In an oven-proof serving dish, combine the beans with the cheese, oregano, and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Drizzle the oil over the top and sprinkle with the breadcrumbs.
4. Bake until beans are warmed through and the cheese is melted and bubbly, about 20-24 minutes. Enjoy immediately.

Serves 4 (as an appetizer).

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