Skip to main content

Conghilie with Clams, Mussels, and Broccoli

You don’t often see recipes for seafood pastas that incorporate vegetables other than the occasional chopped tomato, but broccoli adds a lot of body, color, and substance to this pasta dish. I love broccoli, but if you don’t, feel free to substitute your favorite green vegetable. It’s a great quick, elegant meal.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

1 pound conghilie (small shells) pasta
1 pound broccoli, cut into 1-inch florets (about 4 cups)
1/4 cup olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound small littleneck clams, scrubbed
1 pound mussels, debearded
1 cup white wine
1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the broccoli to the pasta water and continue cooking until the pasta is tender but still firm to the bite, and the broccoli is blanched, about 4 minutes more. Drain the pasta and broccoli, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

    Step 2

    Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper, and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes, or until fragrant. Add the clams, mussels, and wine. Cover and cook for 5 minutes, making sure all the shells have opened. (Discard any shells that remain closed.) Sprinkle with the parsley.

    Step 3

    In a large bowl, toss together the pasta, broccoli, and shellfish. Add the reserved pasta water, 1/4 cup at a time, to moisten, and toss to combine. Transfer to a platter and serve immediately.

Everyday Pasta
Read More
Like “absolutely decadent” chocolate pudding and fattoush salad.
Keep this easy frittata recipe on hand for quick breakfasts, impressive brunches, and fridge clean-out meals.
A warmly spiced Ashkenazi charoset, perfect for your Passover seder—or spooned over yogurt the next morning.
Turn humble onions into this thrifty yet luxe pasta dinner.
This one-pot dinner cooks chicken thighs directly on top of a bed of flavorful cilantro rice studded with black beans for a complete dinner.
Like lemony risotto and tandoori-style cauliflower.
Filberts, goobers, scaly bark nuts: Explore the world beyond almonds in this guide.
The most efficient method takes less than an hour, but you might not even need it.