Clam Linguine Alfredo with bacon and mushrooms

This is officially my new favourite pasta recipe. Just....wow. I wouldn't have thought that canned clams would figure in a such labeled dish, but there it is. Another great idea from SO - this turned out not too creamy or rich, but full of rich flavours with just a tiny bit of pop from dried chilies. Cooking things up in the fat from the double-smoked bacon turned out to be the first good idea. The second, I finally got a chance to try some of the black garlic I got from Chef Michael Smith's Flavour Shack in PEI, where we visited recently. Finally, fresh linguine was on sale at Sobey's today. Perfect!

Sauteing the clams with bacon and mushrooms

Mmmm, the smell of bubbling garlic, mushrooms, clams, bacon.....this will be good. Assembling it with the fresh pasta, and we have one fine Sunday dinner.

A nest of linguine with clams, bacon, and mushrooms

Next time: wouldn't change much! Maybe fresh clams, but that would be a lot more trouble.

me: 10/10

SO: 10/10

SSO: 7/10, but that was the plain pasta with butter and salt, the clam part was probably 2/10

Clam Linguine with bacon and mushrooms

Ingredients

• 350g fresh linguine was enough for 2 adult dinners and 3 leftover lunches
• double-handful mushrooms, medium dice
• 2 cans clams, rinsed with the juice of one can reserved
• 1/4 C white wine
• a few cloves of garlic, try black garlic if you can find it
• 6 slices thick sliced bacon, diced and cooked to almost crisp. Reserve some fat for cooking. Cook in a pot which you can later use for the sauce.
• 3 Tb finely chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• freshly ground pepper
• no salt needed, except for the pasta water
• 1 tsp chili flakes, or to taste
• 1 C heavy cream
• 1/3 C grated parmesan
• up to 1/2 C water from the cooked pasta reserved

Method

1. Get the pasta water heating. 
2. Cook the bacon is a large pot. When almost crisp, remove to a bowl for later use. Leave at least a Tb or two of bacon grease in the pot.
3. If using boxed pasta, start it now. If using fresh, do it last minute.
4. Melt a couple Tb of butter in the grease over medium heat, and add the garlic, mushrooms, clams and juice, wine, parsley, oregano, pepper, and chili flakes. Cook for a few minutes. 
5. Reduce heat to simmer. Add the heavy cream, stirring constantly. when combined, add the parmesan. Keep stirring, cooking for a couple minutes. Add the bacon. 
6. When the pasta is done, add to the pot and combine. Fresh pasta will absorb much liquid. If it seems not saucy enough, add a bit of pasta water. Plate and enjoy!