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Conghilie with Clams, Mussels, and Broccoli

You don’t often see recipes for seafood pastas that incorporate vegetables other than the occasional chopped tomato, but broccoli adds a lot of body, color, and substance to this pasta dish. I love broccoli, but if you don’t, feel free to substitute your favorite green vegetable. It’s a great quick, elegant meal.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

1 pound conghilie (small shells) pasta
1 pound broccoli, cut into 1-inch florets (about 4 cups)
1/4 cup olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound small littleneck clams, scrubbed
1 pound mussels, debearded
1 cup white wine
1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the broccoli to the pasta water and continue cooking until the pasta is tender but still firm to the bite, and the broccoli is blanched, about 4 minutes more. Drain the pasta and broccoli, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

    Step 2

    Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper, and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes, or until fragrant. Add the clams, mussels, and wine. Cover and cook for 5 minutes, making sure all the shells have opened. (Discard any shells that remain closed.) Sprinkle with the parsley.

    Step 3

    In a large bowl, toss together the pasta, broccoli, and shellfish. Add the reserved pasta water, 1/4 cup at a time, to moisten, and toss to combine. Transfer to a platter and serve immediately.

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