Canned Meat is Creepy

A little while back the Mother Unit gifted us with five cans of chopped clams (and a frozen chicken). I was a little grossed out by the clams because in all honesty, canned meat of any sorts is a little weird. But I found a recipe where they are delicious and not creepy canned meat! This recipe was quick and yummy. We also had everything in the cupboard already (Score!). Except the capers, which I omitted because I haven't found a caper dish I truly enjoy unless the capers are fried. It also wasn't spicy enough for us so at the end we added some hot chili oil to the mix for a little kick. It was perfect.

Bucatini with Red Clam Sauce and Hot Pepper

(from Martha Stewart Magazine)

Ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil
4 garlic cloves, smashed
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Red Pepper Flakes
1 can (14 ounces) whole plum tomatoes, chopped plus 1/2 cup juice
2 cans (6.5 ounces each) chopped clams, drained, reserving one cup clam juice
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and drained (Omitted)
3/4 pound bucatini or other pasta (I used linguini)
Directions:
1. While bringing a large pot of salted water to a boil, heat oil with garlic oregano, and a large pinch of red pepper flakes in a large skillet over medium-heat. Cook until fragrant and garlic is golden, about 2 minutes.
2. Stir in tomatoes and their juice, and the reserved clam juice. Bring to a simmer, and cook until sauce is slightly thickened, about 7 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Stir in clams and capers, and cook until heated through.
3. When water boils, add pasta to boiling water, and cook until almost al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain (save one cup water!), and transfer pasta to skillet. Gradually stir in 1 cup pasta water, about 1/2 cup at a time, and cook over low heat, tossing until pasta has absorbed some sauce and is well coated, 2 to 3 minutes.