We asked Executive Chef Iwan Hokahin of pureocean at Divi Little Bay Beach Resort on St. Maarten to share one of his restaurant’s most popular recipes with us. He immediately pointed us to this method of preparing Mussels and Clams Marinara. “Our guests love this dish, and it’s one of my favorites too,” Chef Iwan says. “The Italian-inspired flavors, combined with our fresh seafood, are a real crowd-pleaser, especially when you’re sitting right on the beach.” Grazie, Chef Iwan!
MUSSELS & CLAMS MARINARA
2 lbs. clams (scrubbed clean)
2 lbs. mussels (scrubbed clean) Angelhair pasta
1 quart prepared marinara sauce Garlic (as much as you want) 1/4 cup parsley
1/2 cup clam juice
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste
Sautee garlic in olive oil in a large pot, until lightly browned. Add clam juice. When the mixture comes to a boil, add marinara sauce. Add clams and mussels, then cover pot and cook until the shells open (about 5-10 minutes).
Once all the shells have opened, and you’ve discarded any shells that stayed closed, pour the mixture over cooked pasta (or just dip garlic bread straight into the mixture). Add parsley, salt and pepper to taste, and serve.
Tip from Chef Iwan: If a shell doesn’t open, don’t eat it! Throw it away! It’s very common to find a few unopened shells after cooking, but these are not safe to eat.
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