What I had for dinner:

Linguine in clam sauce

27 Nov 1995 22:31:38 -0500

In a medium-sized heavy-bottommed pot, I browned one sliced onion in a little olive oil, then added a piece of ginger (peeled, split in half; about 1 inch), 3 habañero peppers (chopped), 4 chipotle peppers (whole), and a large handful of shiitake caps cut in strips. They were cooked until all the moisture had evaporated, and 2 tomatoes (chopped) and 4 cloves of garlic (sliced) were added.

As soon as the mixture started boiling I added the clams (1 dozen littlenecks, well scrubbed) and closed the lid. The idea is to have as little liquid as possible while not burning the bottom before the clams open and add their liquid to the pot.

As the clams opened, they were removed and set aside, so they would not overcook. When they all had opened, they were shelled, the ginger and chipotle were removed, and the sauce (fairly dry by then) added to the clams, which were served over linguine.

The whole thing is ready in no more than half an hour from the time the water for the pasta is set on the stove.