Lightened Up Linguini with Clam Sauce

I love recipes that makeover less nutritious dishes that taste BETTER than their previous version. In this dish, I use Angel Hair pasta with Clam Sauce. With experimentation, I have found that angel hair pasta is a great option as it offers more noodles per box to soak up the clam sauce deliciousness.

Most traditional recipes call for a bottle of clam sauce. That’s great but what about the clams? Here I swap out the clam juice with an additional can of clams. Because more clams are definitely better!

I haven’t been brave enough to try this dish with spaghetti squash or zucchini noodles but I’d love to hear a report back if you try. Sometimes, it’s just worth eating the higher calorie option and choosing a smaller portion. That’s another benefit of Angel Hair pasta- it just feels like more!

Serve this dish with an Italian salad made with romaine lettuce, tomatoes, thinly-sliced carrots, black olives, and a sprinkle of fresh Parmesan. Enjoy!

Lightened Up Linguini with Clam Sauce

A lightened up version that is better than the original! You’ll love the taste and the leanness!

Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 3, 6.5oz canned chopped clams
• 12oz box whole wheat angel hair pasta
• ¼ cup grated parmesan

Instructions

1. Start to heat water to boil the angel hair pasta. Cook pasta to al dente as you proceed with the following instructions.
2. In a medium saucepan heat oil and melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic, basil, and black pepper and saute for 2 minutes.
3. Drain the liquid from the canned clams into the saucepan. Heat to a simmer. Add clams to heat through.
4. Mix clam sauce with pasta, plate, and serve, topped with parmesan.