Tagliatelle with Clams & Smoked Bacon

Sometimes the simplest recipes are just the best. While the pasta is cooking, you make a quick sauce with the bacon, clams, white wine and garlic. A handful of parsley and you have one of the best meals to ever grace an Italian table.

We had this the other night and ate it in the garden, just as the sun was beginning to disappear. I fully recommend to have a sneaky glass from the wine bottle you opened making the sauce!

Ingredients:             (Serves 2)

500g clams (in shell)
1 tbsp. olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
6 strips smoked streaky bacon, sliced thinly
25g fresh parsley
1 glass white wine
250g tagliatelle pasta

Method:

Bring a large pot of water to the boil for the pasta. In a large frying or sauté pan, add a little olive oil and heat. Add the sliced bacon and fry until crisp. Remove from the pan and drain on kitchen paper. Add the pasta to the boiling water.

In the same pan you used to cook the bacon, add a little more oil and the garlic and half of the parsley. Cook on high for a minute or two (be careful not to burn the garlic), and add the wine. Let bubble on high for a minute and then add the clams. Cover the pan for 5 minutes until the clams are all open. Then add the reserved bacon and remaining parsley and a few tablespoons of the pasta water. Let that continue to cook as you drain the pasta. Toss the two together and serve! You can add salt if you like; I tend to not think its needed with clams and bacon. Enjoy!

Note: For UK readers you can get the clams vacuum packed at Waitrose/Ocado.