Home-made gluten-free pasta with nduja and clams

Serves: 2
Course: Dinner
Cooking Time: 10 mins
Prep Time: 15 mins
Ingredients
  • 200g gluten-free plain flour
  • 2 large eggs
  • ½tsp xanthan gum
  • Salt
  • 1tbs olive oil
  • 1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
  • 1tbs nduja
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 200g clams, cleaned
  • 100ml white wine
  • 200ml veg stock
  • 1 lemon, zested
  • Salt and pepper
  • Chopped chives
  1. For the pasta: in a mixing bowl, combine the gluten-free flour, xanthan gum, and a pinch of salt. Mix well. Create a well in the centre of the flour mixture and crack the eggs into it. Using a fork or your fingers, gradually mix the eggs into the flour until a dough starts to form. Transfer the dough on to a clean and lightly floured surface. Knead the dough for about five minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic. Add more flour if the dough is too sticky. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Using a pasta maker, roll out the rested dough into thin sheets, then cut the sheets into tagliatelle-sized strips. If you don’t have a pasta maker, you can roll out the dough by hand and cut it into strips with a sharp knife.
  2. For the sauce: in a large pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the sliced fennel and sauté until it becomes tender and slightly caramelised. Stir in the nduja and minced garlic, and cook for another minute to release their flavours. Add the cleaned clams to the pan and pour in the white wine. Cover the pan with a lid and let the clams cook until they open, discarding any that do not open. Once the clams are cooked, remove them from the pan and set them aside. Add the vegetable stock to the pan, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Let the sauce reduce slightly, then add the lemon zest, salt and pepper to taste. Return the clams to the pan and keep the sauce warm while you cook the tagliatelle.
  3. To assemble: bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the fresh tagliatelle and cook for about three minutes or until the pasta is al dente. Drain the cooked tagliatelle and add it to the pan with the sauce and clams. Toss everything together until the pasta is well coated with the sauce. Stir in the chopped chives.
Gráinne O'Keefe

Gráinne O'Keefe

Gráinne O’Keefe is a chef, restaurateur and contributor to The Irish Times. She is chef-patron of the Dublin restaurant Mae