Both Steven and I really like pasta. Apparently so do most other Americans. Would you believe we each eat 20 pounds of it a year? Since it is high in carbs we tend to think pasta isn’t very good for us, but think again. Whole wheat or whole grain pasta is in fact very nutritious. It is high in protein and fiber and has lots of important minerals as well. It also gives you more energy than white pasta and it has fewer calories.
Fortunately we prefer the taste of whole wheat pasta. We think it has more body and character of its own that adds to the overall flavor of a dish. Give it a try. You might be pleasantly surprised and just think of all the good those 6 grams of fiber are doing in your body.
One of our favorite pasta dishes, which also happens to be one of my “Go-To Recipes”, is Linguine With White Clam Sauce. Some of the recipes I’ve seen online say a ½ pound of pasta will serve four people and others say you need a pound. I split the difference and recommend ¾ of a pound for four people.
Ingredients:
- ¾ pound whole wheat linguine
- 3 tablespoons good quality olive oil
- 3 good size cloves of garlic, peeled and minced (I use my mini chopper for this)
- 2 6.5 ounce cans of chopped clams (I use Bumble Bee)
- ¼ cup of dry white wine
- ⅓ cup chopped parsley
- Grated Parmesan cheese for sprinkling on top (optional)
Directions:
- Open the cans of clams, drain and reserve the liquid. You can of course use fresh clams but it requires so much more effort and you will need to use enough bottled clam juice to match the quantity that is in the clams
- Heat the olive oil until it shimmers
- Add the garlic and let it simmer for about 30 seconds or until fragrant. Be careful not to let it burn
- Slowly pour the reserved liquid and the wine into the pan. Be careful, it might splatter
- Bring to a boil; lower the heat, and cook until the liquid is reduced to ¾ cup
- Add the clams and cook until they are just warmed through
- Meanwhile cook the pasta according to package directions, drain
- Divide the pasta among individual bowls or place it all on a serving platter. Add the sauce and top with parsley.
- Sprinkle on Parmesan cheese (optional)
