Linguine with Clams, Chicken Basil Sausage, Tomatoes, and Kale
My daughter requested clams for dinner but when I went to the store, they only had 1½ lbs left. I decided to grab the remaining clams and use them in one of my favorite pasta dishes. This linguine with clams, chicken basil sausage, tomatoes, and kale recipe was easy to make and tasted gourmet and delicious. We all, kids included, loved this pasta–especially the clams!
Linguine with Clams, Chicken Basil Sausage, Tomatoes, and Kale
Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ lb chicken basil ground sausage
- 5 cloves of garlic, minced
- Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, more if desired
- ½ tsp of fennel seeds, crushed
- 2 cups of chicken broth
- 2 ½ cups of grape tomatoes
- 1 ½ cups of kale, chopped
- Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
- 1 ½ lbs Manilla clams, rinsed
- 9 oz linguine cooked, per instructions
How to Make Linguine with Clams, Chicken Basil Sausage, Tomatoes, and Kale
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Roll bits of sausage into small balls.
Place the balls into the skillet and cook for 4-5 minutes.
Add the minced garlic, tomatoes, crushed red pepper flakes, and crushed fennel seeds to the skillet. then stir constantly for 1 minute.
Add the chicken broth to the skillet and kale and season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste.
Break up a few of the tomatoes by piercing them with a spatula. Cook for 8-10 minutes while the pasta is cooking.
Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of well-salted water, per instructions.
Go through your fresh clams, if any of them are open, tap them lightly on the counter, and if they don’t close shut, the clams are dead–DO NOT EAT THEM.
Scrub the clams lightly in cold water. Keep the clams in the refrigerator until ready to use.
While the pasta is cooking, add the fresh clams to the sauce by the handful and simmer for 4-6 minutes (don’t dump the bowl of clams into the sauce because there could be sand in the bottom of the bowl).
After cooking, if any clams do not open, throw them out.
Toss the cooked linguine with the sauce and clams until evenly coated.
Top with the remaining basil and finely grated Parmesan then serve immediately. Enjoy.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ lb chicken basil ground sausage
- 5 cloves of garlic minced
- Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes more if desired
- ½ tsp of fennel seeds crushed
- 2 cups of chicken broth
- 2½ cups of grape tomatoes
- 1½ cups of kale chopped
- Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
- 1½ lbs Manilla clams rinsed
- 9 oz linguine cooked per instructions
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Roll bits of sausage into small balls. Place the balls into the skillet and cook for 4-5 minutes.
- Add the minced garlic, tomatoes, crushed red pepper flakes, and crushed fennel seeds to the skillet. then stir constantly for 1 minute.
- Add the chicken broth to the skillet and kale then season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste.
- Break up a few of the tomatoes by piercing them with a spatula. Cook for 8-10 minutes while the pasta is cooking.
- Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of well-salted water, per instructions.
- Go through your fresh clams, if any of them are open, tap them lightly on the counter, and if they don’t close shut the clams are dead–DO NOT EAT THEM.
- Scrub the clams lightly in cold water. Keep the clams in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- While the pasta is cooking, add the fresh clams to the sauce by the handful and simmer for 4-6 minutes (don’t dump the bowl of clams into the sauce because there could be sand in the bottom of the bowl).
- After cooking, if any clams do not open, throw them out.
- Toss the cooked linguine with the sauce and clams until evenly coated.
- Top with the remaining basil and finely grated Parmesan, and serve immediately. Enjoy.
This looks delicious, I can’t wait to try it. It looks quite simple too, thank you!
YUM! I’m sure your daughter was very happy! lovely combination:)
Mary
I love clams! This looks amazing, Pam!
Sounds really good!
Pasta and clams is one of my favorite dishes and I like the addition of the sausage.
Wow, I can’t believe what sophisticated taste your children have. My kids wouldn’t have gone near clams with a ten foot pole till they grew up and got smart 🙂
It looks delicious, and thanks for your public service announcement re: dead clams. I don’t often cook fresh clams, so if I ever knew this, I’ve forgotten.
I love clams, but for some reason they are on the list of foods I never make at home. Not sure why. I’ll have to move them to the “make” list! 🙂
How much fennel should be in the recipe? I don’t see it in the ingredient list. Thanks!
Tripp,
Thanks for letting me know! I have corrected the recipe. You need a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes and 1/2 tsp of fennel seeds, crushed.
Pam
What an amazing recipe. Simple preparation to produce a dish sure to impress. Seems like a splash of good white wine would go well in the sauce as well. I don’t really care for kale but I have a big bag of Swiss Chard that is now reserved for this recipe with a little shorter cooking time than the kale of course. Can;t wait to try this.
Kim
Very nice combination. I never thought to put sausage in with the clams. I will have to try this.
The perfect summer dish. Clams are one of the things I will occasionally eat as a vegetarian and I do love them in pasta. How neat that your kids do too. I’ll have to try your recipe because I’ve never tried to make this myself. I’ve only had it at this Italian restaurant in the town next to ours.
Very very fresh and delicious! A perfect summer pasta recipe.
Great pasta compromise! Your daughter gets her clams and you didn’t have to go to another store. Win/win.