Week 10: What to Eat with the Attems Pinot Grigio

This week's CorkPopper dinner was a Friday night affair because J and I have plans tonight and tomorrow night.  I've been craving Linguine and Clams ever since the first sip of this week's first wine, so I scoured my cookbooks and my favorite recipe sites for a fun recipe.  Not surprisingly, I found the winner on Epicurious - Grill-Roasted Clams and Linguine - although, as usual, I've tweaked it just a bit.

This recipe is an absolutely perfect pairing with the Attems.  The spiciness and acidity in the sauce make the flavors in the wine pop and fill your mouth completely.  And it's an amazingly simple recipe, making it a perfect choice for a delicious Friday night dinner.






Grill-Roasted Clams and Linguine


Ingredients:
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1 small shallot, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel
3/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper (more if you like it spicy)
2 cups Pinot Grigio or other non-oaky dry white wine
3 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 canned anchovy fillets, minced
3 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped
coarse sea salt
2 pounds small clams (I used Manila clams), scrubbed and soaked in cold salt water to release the sand
12 ounces linguine
lemon wedges (for garnish)


Preparation:

Heat olive oil in small deep saucepan over medium-low heat.  Add garlic, shallot, half of the lemon zest, and crushed red pepper.  Sauté until garlic and shallot are soft, about 3 minutes.  Add wine, increase heat, and boil until mixture is reduced to about 2 cups.  Remove sauce from heat; mix in lemon juice, anchovies, half of the parsley and remaining lemon zest.  Season with coarse salt.  (The sauce can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature. Rewarm before using.)


Prepare barbecue (high heat).  Arrange clams on grill rack.  Cover grill.  Cook clams 5 minutes. Uncover and cook without turning until clams open.  Transfer to bowl or rimmed baking sheet as they open, retaining juices in shells, about 5 minutes longer (discard any clams that do not open).  J was fascinated by this process.  The clams literally pop open when they're ready.  It's pretty cool.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water.  Drain but do not rinse.  Toss the pasta with the sauce and the clams and then arrange in 4 large pasta bowls.  Sprinkle with some parsley and garnish with lemon wedges.  Serve with crusty grilled bread (of course) and a simple salad of arugula and vinaigrette. 

Cheers and buon appetito!!

Laurel