SUMMER SEAFOOD PASTA

We said goodbye to summer tonight with this soul-stirring pasta. One of those unplanned moments when your five-year-old points to clams in the fish case and you can't resist because in some ways, clams represent everything you fell in love with about the East Coast when you first moved here, 20 years ago. Because now you're raising a boy for whom clams is normal summer fare, and though swirls of clams, corn, shrimp and pasta, sealed with a dash of rich Parmesan may not be details he will remember, the feeling—the feeling when he ate it as his mother's table in late summer, with the sun still on his skin and his wild, curly hair damp across his forehead —that will stick.

That feeling—and the boy across the table—were enough to make his mama forget, even if only for a moment, that this was no ordinary summer—that there was pain and sadness, raging fires and political war. There was hatred and hope all tangled together, but in the middle of it, still, there were moments like these that felt so right and good. Because summer, no matter the summer, is still a gift. And sitting across from the ones you love at the table, even in the hardest of times, is the tiniest glimpse of nirvana a human can know.

SPAGHETTI WITH SHRIMP, CLAMS, FENNEL AND CORN (SUMMER SEAFOOD PASTA) 

12 ounces to 1 pound spaghetti

2 to 3 tablespoons EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL,

2 to 3 cloves garlic, smashed or roughly chopped

1 small bulb fennel, finely sliced

2 to 3 ears of corn, shaved from the cob

2 ½ cups dry white wine, such as sauvignon blanc

2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, halved, plus for garnish

6 ounces wild patagonian shrimp, peeled and deveined 

1 pound clams, rinsed and cleaned 

1 to 2 tablespoons salted butter, optional

SEA SALT, TO TASTE

FRESHLY GROUND PEPPER, To taste

1/3 cup finely ground parmesan, for sprinkling

1 handful fresh young basil, for serving 

perfectly toasted bread, for serving  (see HERE)

Cook the pasta until al dente, one to two minutes shy of the package directions (it will soften and plump further in the pot with the seafood). Drain, rinse (to keep it from sticking) and set aside. 

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add the fennel and garlic stir to coat in the oil; continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until soft and just starting to caramelize, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add in the corn and stir to coat, cooking 1 to 2 minutes more. Add in half the tomatoes, and stir to coat and soften slightly, 2 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Add in about half of the wine to deglaze the pan. Stir to release all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan, and continue adding the remaining wine. 

Add in the clams. Cover and cook until just starting to open, about 4 to 6 minutes. Add in the shrimp and remaining tomatoes and toss, 1 to 2 minutes. Add in the pasta and butter, and toss with tongs to coat and continue cooking until the seafood is just cooked through; the shrimp will be bright pink and all the clams completely open (discard any that are still tightly sealed at this point)

Remove from the heat, toss and season with additional salt, pepper and parmesan to taste. Serve warm, with additional parmesan and basil, and Toasted bread, if desired. 

PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES

TOTAL TIME: 35 MINUTES

SERVES 4

**Images belong to Sarah Copeland, and should not be pinned or posted without attribution. **

Photos + Styling // SARAH COPELAND

Stoneware // LOST QUARRY

Glasses // CRATE + BARREL