Transform this classic clam pasta dish into a low-carb and gluten-free meal worthy of a restaurant plate! Our zucchini noodles with clam sauce is a winner!
Especially in the summer when fresh zucchini are abundant (in my own garden this year!). This is a simple dinner that is not only easy to make but feels fancy.
It is naturally gluten-free, grain-free, and low carb plus I included variations in the NOTES section below for both Dairy-Free and Whole30 versions.
You can have this for dinner tonight in less than 30 minutes – no joke – and if you want to save even more time, spiralize the zucchini noodles in advance.
Since I am growing both summer squash and zucchini in my garden this summer, I have taken to sprializing a huge harvest of both once a week and keeping the noodles well-drained and stored in the fridge as a base for all kinds of vegetable noodle meals.
RECIPE TIPS
- Dairy-Free Option: Omit butter and use 2 T olive oil.
- Whole30 Option: Omit butter and use either 2 T olive oil or 1 T Ghee + 1 T olive oil. Omit White Wine and substitute with high-quality clam juice or chicken broth.
- I like to buy frozen wild, sustainable clam meat. The brand I usually buy is Northern Chef. I defrost it in the fridge the night before but there are quick defrost instructions on the back of the package. There are also high-quality canned clam options out there, just make sure to read the ingredients carefully and drain well.
Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating below!
Transform this classic clam pasta dish into a low-carb and gluten-free meal worthy of a restaurant plate! Our zucchini noodles with clam sauce is a winner!
- 1/2 pound fresh live clams cleaned in shell plus 1 cup broth (optional)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon pastured butter or Ghee
- 2 to 3 medium cloves garlic crushed
- 10 ounces wild caught clam meat see NOTES
- 1 1/2 tablespoons white wine or clam juice
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 20 to 25 turns freshly ground black pepper
- pinch crushed red pepper flakes or more to taste
- zucchini noodles from 4 medium zucchini or summer squash
- handful flat leaf parsley roughly chopped
- squeeze lemon juice
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If NOT using fresh clams in shell, skip step Step 2.
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Heat a large frying pan over medium high heat. Once hot, add 1 cup broth and bring to a boil. Add fresh clams in shell, cover with tight fighting lid and cook undisturbed about 5 to 7 minutes, until the clams open up. Once the clams are open, remove from pan and set aside.
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Heat large frying pan over medium high heat. Once hot, add both oil and butter and then crushed garlic. Cook garlic, 20 to 30 seconds, stirring constantly, until just fragrant.
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Add clam meat, white wine (or clam juice), salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper. Continue cooking for 1 to 2 minutes, until clams are heated through.
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Add zucchini noodles and continue cooking, tossing to coat, 3 to 4 minutes, until softened.
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Remove from heat, toss with fresh parsley and give a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
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Adjust salt, pepper and crushed red pepper flakes to taste. If using fresh clams, divide among plates, serve immediately and Enjoy!
- Dairy-Free Option: Omit butter and use 2 T olive oil.
- Whole30 Option: Omit butter and use either 2 T olive oil or 1 T Ghee + 1 T olive oil. Omit White Wine and substitute with high-quality clam juice or chicken broth.
- I like to buy frozen wild, sustainable clam meat. The brand I usually buy is Northern Chef. I defrost it in the fridge the night before but there are quick defrost instructions on the back of the package. There are also high-quality canned clam options out there, just make sure to read the ingredients carefully and drain well.
Did you make this recipe? Tag @EverydayMaven on Instagram with the hashtag #EveryDayMaven and please give a star rating below.
What is step 2 under “to prepare”? It just says “use a”
Hi Richard, There was a database error that was hiding the instructions. Thanks for pointing it out and letting me know – I just fixed it. In the future, could you please use the star ratings to review the recipe and not for a typographical or database error? Low ratings really impact Google’s view of the recipe so when they aren’t related to the actual recipe, it really sucks for search traffic and helping others to find the recipe. Thanks and I hope you love it!