8 Light and Easy Shellfish Recipes
by Mandy Major
If you want to lighten up dinner this time of year, look no further than succulent shellfish. Lean, quick-cooking and the perfect protein for herbaceous sauces and citrus, it's a fitting seasonal alternative to dense proteins like steak and chicken. At most grocery stores, you can buy a variety of shellfish in the freezer aisle, which are frozen soon after being caught and just need to be defrosted before preparing. When going the fresh route, shrimp, scallops and squid should be plump, firm and cool to the touch; crabs and lobsters should still be alive at the time of purchase as well as clams, mussels and oysters, which should have tightly closed, shiny shells. (Note: When buying fresh shellfish, purchase it no more than 24 hours ahead of cook time as it can go from good to bad quite quickly.) If you're new to cooking shellfish, check out this article for storage and preparation tips, then try one of the easy-to-make recipes below. Whether you're preparing lunch or dinner, with one bite you'll see just how versatile-and delicious-shellfish can be.
Linguine and Clam Sauce Recipe
Summer tomatoes are what make this dish shine; use whatever fresh varieties you find at the market. Crusty bread may be optional, but it should be essential-once the noodles are gone, you'll want something to mop up all the leftover sauce with.
Recipe Ingredients:
12 oz linguine
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 cup dry white wine
2 beefsteak tomatoes, chopped
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
Kosher salt
20 littleneck or Manila clams, rinsed
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
Crusty bread, for serving
Recipe Preparation:
1.Cook the linguine according to package directions; drain and return it to the pot.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until it begins to brown, 1 minute. Add the wine, tomatoes, red pepper and 1/2 tsp salt, and bring to a boil.
3. Add the clams and simmer, covered, until they open, 4 to 6 minutes. Toss the linguine with the clam sauce and parsley. Serve with the bread, if desired.
Prep Tip: Select clams with tightly closed shells free of breaks, chips or cracks. To keep them fresh, refrigerate them in a bowl for up to 2 days (sealing them in a plastic bag or immersing them in water will cause them to die).
Photo: Alexandra Rowley/Woman's Day
More Shellfish Recipes:
Garlicky Shrimp & Spinach Recipe
Scallops with Creamy Pesto Recipe
Cioppino
Beach-Shack Shrimp Tacos with Cucumber Salad Recipe
Article originally appeared on WomansDay.com.
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