Recipe by Italianhomemade.co.uk / Instagram
Spelt Conchiglie with Chickpeas and Clams
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320g of White Spelt Conchiglie
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400g of organic chickpeas
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600g of clams
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50ml of dry white wine
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1 garlic clove, chopped
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A sprinkle of dried chillies
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A tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
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3 tablespoons of fresh parsley
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2 tablespoons of fresh thyme
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2.5L of water
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A pinch of salt and black pepper
Method
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Fill a bowl with water, a pinch of salt and the clams. Leave for 1 hour to purge.
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Once the time is up, wash the clams under running water and place in a pot with the wine. Cover the lid and cook on low heat to let them open up. As soon as they open, remove from heat. You should also have clam water which will be used later.
Pictures by Italianhomemade.co.uk / Instagram
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In a separate saucepan add three tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, a chopped clove of garlic and a few flakes of dried chili flakes over medium heat. Note: this is not supposed to be a spicy dish as it would cover the taste of the clams and legumes, it’s supposed to add a little flavor.
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Once the garlic becomes a golden brown add the chickpeas and cook for just under a minute. Then add the clam water and boil the chickpeas on low heat for 10 minutes. Because the clam water is already salty you only need to add pepper to taste.
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Meanwhile in a large saucepan, bring 2 litres of salted water to a boil and undercook the pasta by a minute or two.
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Remove from heat and let it cool down. Then blend half of the chickpea mixture in a blender before returning to the pan. At this point you can add back your clams, some with shells and some without (up to you) as well as the chopped parsley.
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By now your pasta should be done and you can pour it into the pan, adding some pasta water to help finish cooking it on high heat for a minute. Make sure to continuously stir so that the sauce doesn’t dry out, it should be a creamy medium consistency before taking it off the heat. You can add more pasta water to keep it on the creamier side. This works as a binder and will enhance your pasta dish by becoming a silky sauce. Finish with some fresh thyme on top and serve!
