Squash, Chilli & Clam Spaghetti

A creamy spaghetti and clams recipe with a kick of fresh chilli

Clean Clams

  • Wash and scrub the clams thoroughly under running cold water. Discard any that are open or damaged.
  • Keep them in the fridge until you are ready to cook them.

 

Make Squash Sauce

  • Peel and finely dice the shallot.
  • Heat a large saucepan and add the butter. Sweat the shallot in the butter for 5 minutes until it has softened.
  • Slice the butternut squash in half lengthways, peel it and dice into 2cm cubes.
  • Add the squash to the softened shallot and a splash of water and cover the pan with a lid. Cook for 15 minutes until the squash is soft. Stir the squash every 5 minutes and the water will evaporate.
  • Pick the thyme leaves and finely chop them. Peel and crush the garlic clove. Slice the red chilli in half lengthways, remove the seeds and finely dice it.
  • Add the chopped thyme, crushed garlic clove and diced chilli to the softened butternut squash and cook for 2 minutes.
  • Put the pan on a low heat, add the double cream and stir to combine it with the squash mix. You can roughly mash the softened squash with the wooden spoon to make it into a puree.
  • Add the grated parmesan and stir to combine the sauce. Keep the sauce warm on a low heat as you cook the spaghetti and clams.

 

Cook Spaghetti & Clams

  • Cook the spaghetti according to the packet instructions. Add 2 tbsp of table salt to the boiling water that you are cooking the spaghetti in.
  • Wash and pick the leaves of the parsley and roughly chop them.
  • Set the chopped leaves aside for later.
  • Whist the spaghetti is cooking, cook the clams. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large frying pan and heat to a high heat. Add the clams and white wine, keep the pan on a high heat and put the lid on. Shake the pan until the clams have opened (about 2 minutes). Discard any clams that remain closed. Strain the clam cooking juices with a sieve and into the butternut squash sauce.
  • Take the clams off the heat and put the lid on keeping clams warm until you are ready to plate up.
  • Put the squash sauce with the strained clam cooking liquid on a medium-high heat and reduce it down until you have a thickened sauce.
  • When the spaghetti is cooked lift it from the cooking liquid and into the squash saucepan. Keep the pasta cooking liquid!
  • Combine the spaghetti with the warm sauce and the lemon juice.
  • Toss to combine it.
  • Add a little of the pasta cooking liquid if you want to make the sauce creamier.
  • Season with salt and pepper and add the chopped parsley.
  • Add half of the clams to two serving plates, top with the squash spaghetti and the rest of the clams.
  • Drizzle with extra olive oil and season with black pepper.

 

Author Chef Ali Pumpfrey

Details:

  • Author: Ali Pumfrey Chef
  • Prep time:
  • Cook time:
  • Total time:
  • Serves: 2

Ingredients:

  • 1 Large Shallot

  • 20g Butter

  • Butternut Squash

  • Small bunch of thyme

  • 1 Garlic Cloves

  • 1 Small Red Chilli

  • 50ml Double Cream

  • 40g Parmesan (grated)

  • 500g Manilla Clams

  • 100ml White Wine

  • 180g Dried Spaghetti

  • Lemon (juice)

  • 15g Fresh Parsley

  • Olive Oil

  • Salt and Pepper