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This keto pasta with white clam sauce is heavenly, with lots of garlic, olive oil, white wine, and clams for a delicious low-carb version of a classic Italian pasta dinner! Made with mostly pantry ingredients, this easy recipe is quick enough for a weeknight dinner but elegant enough to serve company.
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Is Pasta with White Clam Sauce keto?
I know we all think that once we go low carb we have to say goodbye to pasta and that is that. Or at least that is what I thought. But, after several months sans pasta, I was determined to find a way to enjoy a pasta-type meal while staying true to living low carb.
That opened the door to zucchini noodles, butternut squash noodles, cauliflower "mac and cheese", and spaghetti squash as pasta.
All of them I love, but they just didn't hit that pasta spot.
Then I found hearts of palm noodles. I tried them and loved them. I tested them out on other keto peeps, and they loved them. I then tested the toughest group, the non-keto friends and family and they (drum roll please) LOVED them!
What? Can this be true? Did I break the code of pasta cravings?
Ummmm, OK, I will keep it real with ya.
No, there is no way that any of the pasta substitutes match the actual taste and texture of "real" pasta. But, they come close enough that you don't feel like you are completely writing off certain recipes that you have always enjoyed.
A case in point is this recipe for Keto Pasta with White Clam Sauce.
This was one of my favorite celebration pasta dishes. We would go out to dinner at a local fancy schmancy restaurant for birthdays and 9 times out of 10 I would order their pasta with white clam sauce. It was just so damn good I couldn't bring myself to order anything else.
So once I discovered different ways to enjoy a pasta dish and stay low carb I tried it with every.single.one. They were all good, so if you are not a fan of hearts of palm noodles, but are a fan of clam sauce, you can still get your white clam sauce fix with zoodles, squoodles, or spaghetti squash.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO MAKE KETO PASTA WITH WHITE CLAM SAUCE
INGREDIENTS
- Garlic
- Shallot
- Butter
- Baby clams
- White wine
- Heavy cream
- Parmesan cheese
- Pink sea salt
- Palmini noodles
- Flat-leaf parsley
HOW TO MAKE KETO PASTA WITH WHITE CLAM SAUCE
STEP 1
STEP 2
Add the clams and the liquid and bring to a boil and cook for 3 minutes.
STEP 3
Add white wine and cook for an additional 3 or 4 minutes, or until the liquid begins to reduce.
STEP 4
Stir in the cream and cook for an additional 3 to 4 minutes, or until the sauce begins to thicken.
STEP 5
Add the Parmesan cheese and whisk until it is incorporated.
STEP 6
Remove from the heat and taste and adjust salt if needed.
STEP 7
Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil.
STEP 8
Add the drained Palmini noodles to the water and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the noodles are heated through
STEP 9
Serve the clam sauce over the noodles.
STEP 10
Top with more Parmesan cheese and chopped flat-leaf parsley if desired
Store the leftover clam sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Palmini pasta can be stored separately in a zip-top bag for up to 4 days in the refrigerator. To reheat: add the sauce to a saucepan or skillet with additional clam juice, seafood stock, or water, cooking over low heat just until heated through. Toss in the pasta and continue to heat until warm.
Last thoughts about Hasselback Zucchini
Canned clams can be found in most major grocery stores in the canned seafood aisle, and are a useful pantry staple to have on hand. You can also look for shucked clams at your meat counter or in your frozen foods aisle.
For an even richer version of this sauce, you can add a tablespoon of butter when you add the clams.
If you like things a little spicy you can include 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper when you add the garlic.
For a brighter flavor profile, add 1 teaspoon of lemon zest with the parsley.
If you want to make this a fuller meal, add halved grape tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, quartered artichoke hearts, or sautéed asparagus when you add the pasta. Also, add a handful of torn fresh basil leaves.
Keto Pasta with White Clam Sauce
Ingredients
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 1 large shallot finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 24 ounces baby clams (4 6-ounce cans) + the liquid in the cans
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 cup heavy cream (can substitute canned coconut milk)
- 1/2 cup Fresh grated Parmesan cheese
- pink salt
- 2 pouches Palmini angel hair noodles drained *See Notes
- 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley chopped (plus more for garnish)
Instructions
- In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and shallot and saute for 1 minute, stirring, until fragrant but not browned.
- Add the clams and the liquid and bring to a boil and cook for 3 minutes.
- Add white wine and cook for an additional 3 or 4 minutes, or until the liquid begins to reduce.
- Stir in the cream and cook for an additional 3 to 4 minutes, or until the sauce begins to thicken.
- Add the Parmesan cheese and whisk until it is incorporated.
- Remove from the heat and taste and adjust salt if needed.
- Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil.
- Add the drained Palmini noodles to the water and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the noodles are heated through
- Serve the clam sauce over the noodles.
- Top with more Parmesan cheese and chopped flat-leaf parsley if desired
Notes
- You will need 1 package plus some from another for 4 (4-ounce) servings. The bags are 12 ounces and the cans are 14 ounces.
Disclaimer
Most of my recipes are low-carb (or keto) and gluten-free, but some are not. Please verify that a recipe fits your needs before using it. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Recipes may contain errors, so please use your common sense when following them. Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs will not be included as it has a glycemic index of 0 (meaning it does not spike blood sugar) and it’s not metabolized. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.
Nutrition
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