Clam and Corn Pasta

1. Scrub the clams and rinse off any grit (if any are open or cracked, discard). Place the clams in a colander. Fill a large bowl with cold water and stir in a big handful of salt. Place the colander in the water and let the clams sit for 15 minutes. Drain the clams, rinse, and soak in fresh cold water (no salt this time) for another 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a 6- to 8-quart Dutch oven over medium heat. When the oil is shimmering, stir in the panko and red pepper flakes and season with salt and black pepper. Cook, stirring often, until deeply golden brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer the toasted breadcrumbs to a shallow bowl to cool. Wipe out the pot but keep it handy.

3. Shuck the corn, then slice the kernels off the cobs. Set the kernels aside. Place the cobs in a separate large pot, fill with water, cover, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

4. Meanwhile, thinly slice 6 of the garlic cloves and grate the remaining 2. Zest and juice 1 lemon. Drain the clams (there should be only a little, if any, grit at the bottom of the bowl) and rinse again.

5. Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil in the Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the sliced garlic and stir to coat. Add the wine, clams, and a few grinds of black pepper, then cover the pot. Cook, shaking the pot occasionally to agitate the mixture, until the clams open, 4 to 7 minutes (if any do not open during this time, cover and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more; if they don’t open after that, pull them out and discard). Turn off the heat. Transfer the clams to a plate and cover lightly with foil to keep them warm, reserving everything else in the Dutch oven.

6. While the clams cook, remove the corncobs from their pot and discard. Stir in 2 tablespoons salt and the pasta. Cook until the pasta is barely al dente, about 3 minutes less than what the box directs. Reserve 2 cups of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta and add it to the Dutch oven.

7. Add the corn kernels and ½ teaspoon fish sauce (if using) to the Dutch oven and return to medium-high heat. Add 1 cup of the pasta cooking water and toss vigorously, cooking the pasta to al dente and forming a thin sauce, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the butter, grated garlic, and lemon zest, and toss, adding more pasta water a little at a time, until the sauce is glossy. Taste and add another ½ teaspoon fish sauce if you’d like a little more funk.

8. Stir half the parsley into the pasta along with the lemon juice and season with more black pepper and salt to taste. Return the clams to the Dutch oven, the easiest and best vessel for serving this dish family-style. (Alternatively, if you’re feeling cheffy, plate each serving of pasta and clams in dinner bowls or on plates.) Top with the toasted breadcrumbs and remaining parsley. Slice the remaining lemon into wedges. Serve with the lemon wedges and Parmesan.

Excerpted with permission from Big Night: Dinners, Parties & Dinner Parties by Katherine Lewin © 2024. Published by Union Square and Co.