Capellini with Red Clam Sauce

It's the middle of Lent for all the Catholics out there so it's appropriate for a recipe containing no meat for those of you fasting.

I know most of the "food gurus" say to use Linguini, but I have found that the Linguini noodles are excessively starchy and just too bulky. The Capellini (Thin Angel Hair) is much more delicate and holds the sauce well.

 

INGREDIENTS: 

 

1 can (28 ounces) Peeled plumb tomatoes

1 can (6-1/2 ounces each) chopped clams, undrained **

1 small onion

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves

2 Tbsp fresh parsley

1 bay leaf

1/2 Cup of dry red wine

1/2 tspn sugar

1/2 tspn dried basil

1/2 tspn dried thyme

4 ounces Capellini , cooked and drained

PREPARATION:

Drain the tomatoes, reserving the liquid and crush with a potato masher right in the can. Peel the onion and chop finely. Peel the garlic and chop. Wash the parsley and mince chop the leaves.

COOKING:

Put the juice from the tomatoes in a small pot and gently boil (slow bubbling) until it is reduced to 1/3. (about 45 min to 1 hour).

Heat a small skillet, add the oil and sauté onion in until tender. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute longer. Transfer to a pot, stir in the crushed tomatoes, parsley, bay leaf, sugar, basil, and thyme.

Cover and cook on low for 2 hours, Add the reduced tomato juice. Drain the clams and add the juice to the pot, stirring to combine. Continue a slow simmer for another hour, adding the clams about 15 min. before serving.  Discard bay leaf.

While the sauce is cooking, cook the capellini according to package directions or until al dente

Serve the sauce over the Capellini. With extra sauce served along side.
 

**Bar Harbor brand "Chopper Clams" for this recipe were purchase from Amazon.com as they are outstanding and about as close to fresh as you can get.