Today we present to you a red version, with a tomato-based, clam-juice infused sauce, dressed up with some fennel and a little dash of anise liqueur.
What Does Fennel Taste Like?
Why the licorice note from the fennel and anise? Trust me. It just goes well with tomato sauce and seafood. Funny thing, my dad hates, and I mean truly despises, licorice. But he gobbles down Italian sausage like there’s no tomorrow, and the defining spice in sweet Italian sausage is fennel seed. Certain flavors just enhance others, and in this case the licorice flavor from the fennel and anise liqueur makes the clam sauce sparkle. (By the way, you can skip the liqueur if you want, you’ll just have a more subtle licorice note from the fennel.) Do you have a favorite clams with pasta dish? Please let us know about it in the comments. If you would like a smooth sauce instead of chunky, ladle the sauce into a blender and purée it until smooth, then return to the pot. As the clams open, remove them to a bowl. Remove the clam meat from all but a few of the shells which you will want to save for a garnish. (Or keep the clam meat in the shells, your choice, we just find the dish easier to eat if most of the clams are already out of the shells.) To serve, ladle some sauce into the bowl with the pasta and mix well to combine. Use tongs to put some pasta on each plate, add a small spoonful of clam sauce on top and garnish with a few of the clams that are still in the shell. Serve at once.
