Razor Clam Spaghetti with Wine Sauce is one of the absolute best clam recipes to date!
Celebrate your clamming success over this mouthwatering Razor Clam recipe that's flavorful, creamy, and smooth. You'll need red peppers, mushrooms, red onion, ingredients for an amazing homemade creamy white wine sauce all over a bed of angel hair spaghetti.
Razor clamming season is arguably one of the most popular times on the Pacific Coast. During clam tides, there are often thousands of people digging for these large mollusks along the Pacific Coast beaches. If you've never clammed, you must give it a try. I have a full guide on how to dig for clams on the Pacific coast, check it out!
It's quite an amazing site to see. Some use a clamming shovel, others a clam gun. Either way, you're going for delicious Pacific razor clams that are a delicacy to most!
After a successful dig, many go home to start the cleaning process, then proceed to frying their clams. But let's be honest, there's a good amount of truly delicious Razor clam recipes on my blog that I'd love for you to try over deep frying.
This is one dish that you can absolutely make using frozen clams. But, let me tell you, it will easily become your favorite straight from frozen razor clam recipe!
These are my other favorites!
And, you'll have to try my most popular recipe, Clam Jalapeno Popper recipe,
or my super fresh and addicting Mediterranean Razor Clam Ceviche,
have a slice or two of this Garlic Razor Clam Pizza,
and don't forget to cozy up with the trusty Clam Chowder!
So, get your ingredients ready, because this razor clam spaghetti recipe is not going to disappoint!
Table of Contents
ABOUT THE WINE SAUCE
One thing to note when making white wine sauce is you don't have to use an expensive bottle to get good flavor in your sauce, however, I find that I let the bottle go to waste if I'm only purchasing it for a recipe.
So, I started using wine that I enjoy drinking in my recipes. Unless I'm using a lot, of course.
I took a trip to Westport Winery (because hello, can you get anymore coastal than a beautiful winery on the Pacific coast?) and tasted many of their wine to come up with good pairings for this recipe. I ended up with Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Viognier and Dry Vermouth.
Westport Winery Elk River Sauvignon Blanc turned out to be a great pairing, dry and the right amount of flavor. The best part? You now have the rest of the bottle to enjoy alongside this phenomenal dish!
I also tried the viognier, and the dish won't need too much extra sugar if you're going this route, but I fell in love with this bottle!
RAZOR CLAM SPAGHETTI WITH WINE SAUCE INGREDIENTS
- Pacific Razor Clams. During Pacific coast clamming season - Fall through spring, you can gather your own on the many beaches along the Pacific Coast. There are rules and regulations, so be sure to check out our How to Razor Clam Guide. You can also purchase them through many Seafood shops as well as large seafood distributors that ship to your home.
- Angel Hair Spaghetti. I love this a creamy white wine sauce with angel hair spaghetti recipes. However, if in a pinch, use another spaghetti and let me know how it turns out.
- White Wine. Most dry white wine work great in this recipe. I cook with what I drink for the most part (unless I need more a cup), because who wants to buy a bottle and not enjoy it? Not I :). I wouldn't use more a cup of nice wine, however, using a cup of whatever you drink in my opinion is better than buying an entirely separate bottle to only use a cup.
Good options for wine are Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Sauvignon blanc, and Viognier.
- Mushrooms. I use small crimini mushrooms. They provide a great deep earthy flavor to this dish.
- Red Pepper. Pick large red peppers, and slice them thin. If in a pinch and you can't find red, a substitute would be orange bell peppers for this recipe.
- Red Onion. This is another key component to this fine clam spaghetti with white wine sauce recipe extra flavorful. The red onion provides great strong burst of flavor to the sauce.
HOW TO PREP IN ADVANCE
- Prepare by thoroughly cleaning each razor clam. I have a full guide on how to clean and store them.
- Cut all the veggies, then roughly chop the clams. You'll want them to be big enough pieces that don't get lost in this dish.
- Measure out all the ingredients and have them ready to drop in the dish, This is a great hack for post-clamming meals since it's hard work out there!
EXPERT TIPS
- Be careful not to overcook the clams! Razor clams get overcooked fairly quickly. Also, depending on how cold the clams are, they may cook slower or faster.
- Once everything is cooked, keep the spaghetti and the sauce separate. Storing them separately helps the spaghetti not get too soggy.
- Contrary to most recipes, I don't prefer to use the "cheap" stuff, unless I'm using more than a cup for the recipe.
Afterall, you're only using a small portion of the bottle, and the rest isn't enjoyed. Instead, get a bottle you enjoy and have a glass or two, with this delicious clam spaghetti recipe!
I used Westport Winery Elk River Sauvignon Blanc, as well as Viognier to make this dish. Yes, I made it twice, we're obsessed :).
FAQ
Clams have to be thoroughly gutted and cleaned before cooking. Their shells need to be removed, via a boiling method, then gutting and cutting them to prepare for cooking.
Being that they are thin after they've been cleaned, they are relatively quick to cook. When sauteed, they will be cooked and ready to eat within a minute. Same with boiling.
These large mollusks are mild in flavor and sweet compared to other seafood. Although they don't hold a lot of flavor, when cooked properly and with the right ingredients, they are absolutely delicious.
They do have different textures! The neck of a razor clam is tough in texture, and the digger is soft and buttery.
Cooking frozen clams is just as simple as fresh. First, you'll need to thaw them. So, set them in the fridge overnight, or in the morning. They won't take long to thaw, just a few hours, being that they're pretty thin.
There are tons of fantastic clam recipes on our page, check them out and get to your clam dinner! Or appetizer!
So, let's ditch the "what can I do with frozen razor clams" and get to making this clam spaghetti with wine sauce. Or try clam jalapeno poppers, clam dip, and of course, Mediterranean clam ceviche is a fan favorite!
They can last way beyond 6 months if kept in the back of the fridge. They'll last even longer in a deep freezer if packaged properly, in an airtight bag.
WHAT TO PAIR WITH THIS CLAM SPAGHETTI RECIPE
- Appetizer: Use the rest of your clams to make this Jalapeno Poppers recipe!
- Side Dish: Try this Fried Feta and Strawberry Salad alongside!
- Drink: Pair this clam recipe with dry white wine, like a Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Sauvignon blanc, or Viognier. I especially love Westport Winery Elk River Sauvignon Blanc, as well as Medusa Viognier.
OTHER RAZOR CLAM RECIPES
I LOVE HEARING FROM YOU! When you make this dish, please RATE using the stars in the recipe card, and COMMENT at the end of the page how you enjoyed this dish.
BONUS: Share this Pacific razor clam spaghetti recipe with others (there's an easy SHARE on FB button in the recipe card!).
Razor Clam Spaghetti with Wine Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 lb pack of angel hair spaghetti
- 8 razor clams cleaned, roughly chopped
- ¼ extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, or Viognier, see note
- ½ cup clam juice the liquid that's stored with the clams. *see notes
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 2 large red peppers sliced
- 8 oz mushrooms sliced
- ½ red onion thinly sliced
- 8 cloves garlic minced
- 3 teaspoon balsamic
- 2 teaspoon sugar
- 1½ teaspoon thyme
- ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes to taste
- ¼ cup parsley finely chopped
- 2 - 2.5 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- Shaved parmesan to serve
Instructions
- In a large pot of boiling water cook spaghetti to al dente, for about 6-7 minutes. Strain and set aside.
- In the same pot on medium-low heat, add olive oil and garlic. Cook until garlic is fragrant, lid-off.
- While stirring, add wine, clam juice, balsamic, sugar, thyme, red peppers, onion, and mushrooms.
- Once simmering, add the flour and whisk to combine for about a minute.
- Cover and cook until the onion, peppers, and mushrooms look cooked, about 7 or so minutes.
- Then add the heavy cream and razor clams and cook for another 2-3 minutes on simmer with lid-on. Remove from heat, and top with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes, and stir to combine.
- To Plate: In a bowl or plate, add a serving of spaghetti then top with sauce. Sprinkle parsley and shaved parmesan to serve.
Notes
- Wine: choose a dry white wine, if you have a slightly sweeter one on hand such as Viognier, you'll need to decrease the sugar by at least half.
- Clam Juice: If you don't have enough, you can purchase clam juice bottles from any grocery store.
Patty
I tried this and it was fabulous. I would recommend it to everyone who likes spaghetti!
THE PERFECT TIDE
Thank you, Patty!
Joelle
Tonight I made the Razor Clam Spaghetti with White Wine Sauce. I did omit the mushrooms. Let me assure you, this is DELICIOUS!! I will absolutely make this over and over again. Thank you Suzy for an amazing recipe!!!
THE PERFECT TIDE
Thank you for your kind words, Joelle!
May
I made this last night, so delicious!!!
Sandra Larson
Oh Yes!! This is fabulous! Had to sub with chanterelles , Fat-free half n half but all else true to recipe!! Used Chardonnay, my fave so cut sugar by half.THANK YOU FOR SHARING! Will have company for this dish!!! It's that awesome!!!
Suzy Sakamoto
You are so welcome, Sandra! I'm so glad you loved it! It sure is one to share 😉 Enjoy the rest of my razor clam recipes!
Sandra Larson
This is fabulous!! Thanks for sharing. Had to use fat free half n half and chanterelle shrooms but sauce still beautifully rich.Clams tender added at end per your recipe. This is our new “go to “as fried razors are yummy but not healthy.THANKS AGAIN!
Bob Harper
One star as written, for the reasons given in this comment. otherwise sound excellent.
Cooking angel hair pasta for 6-7 minutes would result in mush. 2-3 minutes is more like it, and making the sauce separately so that sauce and noodles can be combined immediately is preferable to letting the cooked noodles sit getting stuck together. Otherwise it sounds good.
Suzy Sakamoto
Hi Bob, thank you for your feedback. I will look to re-write it for simplicity (as I'm usually writing these around my 4 kids). However, please note that the sauce is absolutely cooked separately. Once the pasta is in the strainer, the creamy wine sauce is made in the pot. As for the length of time to cook the pasta, I will test it out again on another brand and see if the time can be made shorter, as it did NOT result in mush when I made it (look at my image :)). If you prefer to cook your pasta after the sauce, you can simply use another pot. This doesn't take away from the creativity and extreme effort I go into to create these recipes for hundreds of people to enjoy, as they have. I hope you find it reasonable to change your rating and simply leave a comment, or actually try my recipe! All my best, Suzy!
Mike
Suzy, I have cooked angel hair pasta more times than I could ever count over the years. Your cook time is right in my time frame also. I have also dug razor clams for at least 50 years. I am always looking for new ways to cook them. Your recipe looks delicious. Please don’t let the poor taste comments dissuade you from sharing!
Suzy Sakamoto
Thank you, Mike! Never. I'm here for good 🙂
Meredith
Always looking for new razor clam recipes. This was delicious!
Suzy Sakamoto
I love all the fun recipes I've been able to create with our beloved razors! I'm so happy you enjoyed it, Meredith!