Spanish Style Spaghetti with Clams and Shrimp

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To round out the meal, serve with a crusty loaf of bread and a lightly-dressed green salad.

Serves 4

  • Kosher salt
  • 16 small littleneck clams or 36 cockles
  • 8 oz. large shrimp, peeled and deveined (about 20)
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 tsp. sweet pimenton (smoked paprika)
  • 8 oz. vermicelli pasta, broken into 1-2" pieces

Add a tablespoon of salt to a bowl of cold water and stir to dissolve. Put the clams in the bowl and let sit to release any sand. Put the shrimp in a different bowl and season with salt.

In a 10 1/2-inch straight-sided sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, season with salt, and cook until they’re translucent and yellow, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, season with salt, and cook, stirring often, until they’ve softened and broken down, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and pimenton and stir until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Add 4 cups water and 2 teaspoons salt, cover, and increase the heat to high to bring to a boil. Add the broken pieces of pasta, stir to submerge, and then add the clams (but not their soaking water).

Cover, reduce the heat, and cook at a gentle boil over medium or medium low until the pasta is almost al dente, about 6 minutes (check the package for cooking time). Stir in the shrimp, cover, and cook until the shrimp is pink and the clams are open, 2 to 3 minutes more.

Taste for salt, adding more if needed. Serve right away to maintain the brothy consistency. As the pasta sits, it will eventually absorb all the broth.

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