Clams over Linguine with Roasted Red Peppers and Spinach

Today Jeremy and I went grocery shopping.  As is usual when we go shopping, I decided to stop by the fish counter to see if anything looked good.  (I don't like to let seafood sit around so we usually eat our seafood meals on the same day we go grocery shopping.)  Today I bought clams.  I decided to make a lemon garlic sauce to go with it.

I don't think we really needed 2 dozen clams for this.  But they were on sale.  And for some reason the grocery store we go to charged more per clam if you didn't buy a whole dozen (I had planned on getting 18...).  Oh well... a few more clams never hurt anyone. (Unless that person was allergic I guess...)

The sauce was delightfully sweet and sour at the same time.  It wasn't spicy but if the red pepper flake scares you, you can leave that out (or reduce it).  This had a great amount of veggies in it.  The spinach wilted down completely and almost melted into the sauce.  I always chop spinach before I cook with it because I don't like the texture of cooked spinach.  If you don't mind that then you could just throw the leaves in whole.

Clams aren't hard to cook -- you just have to be sure not to overcook them.  By removing them as soon as their shells pop open (not cracked open, but wide open) you'll ensure that you don't overcook.  And be sure to follow the directions below for how to clean clams.  Nothing can ruin a sauce quicker than getting a mouthful of sand. Ick!

Recipe:
2 dozen littleneck or cherrystone clams*
8 oz. whole wheat linguine
2 tbs. olive oil
1 tbs. minced garlic
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 c. spinach leaves, chopped
3 scallions, whites minced, green tops sliced
2 tbs. balsamic vinegar
1 lemon (zest and juice will be used)
1/4 c. water
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flake
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. salt

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Add a pinch of salt and the pasta.  Cook until al dente.  Drain and reserve until ready to go into the sauce.
2. Heat a large saute pan with a lid over medium heat.  Add olive oil.  Add crushed red pepper flake and garlic.  Saute until fragrant.  Add the red bell pepper, salt, and pepper, and saute until the pepper starts to get tender.  Add the spinach and scallion whites and saute until the spinach wilts.  Add the balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, and water.
3. Add the clams to the sauce and cook until the clams pop open. Check the pan every minute or so to remove any clams that open up (if you don't, the clams that open up first will be tough before others are cooked).  Discard any clams that don't open.  (Depending on how long this takes, you may need to add an extra 1/4 c. water to the pan to make sure the sauce doesn't overcook.)
4. Once all the clams are out of the pan, add the cooked linguine to the sauce.  Toss to combine.  Plate the linguine, then add the clams on top. Pour any remaining sauce on top.  Top with lemon zest and the scallion tops.

*About an hour before you start making this, you should soak the clams to remove any sand/grit.  Scrub the outside of the clams under running water.  Then place them in a large bowl with 1 tbs. of salt.  Cover with water and refrigerate.  When you're ready to start cooking, remove the clams by hand (or using tongs) to avoid stirring up the water too much.  Give them a rinse under running water to ensure any grit is gone.