My own mother had six kids in eight years, and we had sit-down family dinners every night (couldn’t afford to go out!) When I ask her how she managed, she just shrugs and tells me she had a lot of energy back then. This spaghetti with clams recipe is for busy moms and busy not-moms. It’s for those of us who sometimes (often) forget to plan, wait until we’re hungry to think about dinner, but have the foresight to keep a well-stocked pantry. It’s easy and takes about 30 minutes or so to make, depending on how quickly you can bring a pot of water to a boil on your stove. The recipe uses canned minced clams, the clam juice in the cans, some olive oil, white wine, lemon zest, parsley, and plenty of garlic to make the sauce. You prep the ingredients while the water for the pasta is coming to a boil, and you make the sauce while the spaghetti is cooking. Toss everything together to serve. If you want to get a little fancy, add some chopped olives or marinated artichoke hearts at the end. Do all of the prep work while the water is coming to a boil. Cook the spaghetti uncovered in vigorously boiling water. While the spaghetti cooks, prepare the clam sauce. Raise the temperature to high and let boil sauce the sauce reduces as the spaghetti cooks. (Put pan on largest burner on high heat to help the sauce reduce more quickly.) Add the chopped clams, and return to a simmer. Then stir in the minced parsley and the lemon zest. Serve with a little more fresh parsley sprinkled over the top. Serve immediately.
