Clam

The complex flavor of this dish—briny, aromatic, slightly spicy—belies the extraordinarily simple method of actually making it.

People always want bread to dip into their clam broth, so why not put the clams right on the bread from the get-go?

Two flavor powerhouses—bright, spicy kimchi and savory, briny clams—create a soup fast enough to make on even the most hectic weeknight. 

Other quick-cooking shellfish, such as mussels or medium shelled shrimp, can be substituted for the clams, but you might need an extra splash of pasta water to loosen the sauce.

You need the fresh, soft, fiery red version of chorizo for this dish, the kind that bleeds out bright red-orange grease into the pot when you heat it.

Sometimes, mid-cooking, I like to jettison my plan and make a new, better plan. The trick is knowing when it’s better. I’m not saying I randomly hobble myself, cruelty-cooking-show style, it’s just that it’s exciting to change it up sometimes. And it surprises the family. Historically, some of the best jettison dinners at my house have started out as regular old pasta night and ended up as gather-around-the-skillet-with-bowls-and-bread night. This was one of those.

In this festive feast, all the best components of a classic clambake—potatoes, shrimp, corn on the cob—get an extra layer of flavor via gingery miso butter.

These Thai-inspired clams are salty, tangy, and rich from the coconut milk.

Shellfish and pork are a power duo. The backbone of this clam toast is a salty-sweet pancetta soffritto with onions, fennel, and lemon zest, which add a sweet, bright flavor.

Don’t feel like cooking indoors? Toss a cast-iron pan right on the grill for a saucy dish of clams and chickpeas, and char some bread alongside for dipping.

To serve this dish as a main course for eight, double the recipe over two pots and throw some warm baguettes on the table.

Any type of medium white beans work for this one-pot dinner. Just make sure to enjoy it with a side of country-style bread for soaking up the lemony, herb-packed sauce.

A vinegary red bell pepper mixture cuts through the richness of this classic Italian-American appetizer for a bite that's salty, smoky, and sweet.

Don’t be tempted to disturb the gnocchi when browning—the hands-off approach is key to letting them develop a deep brown color on one side. This recipe is from Oberlin, one of Bon Appétit's Hot 10, America's Best New Restaurants 2016.

Italian-food purists might balk at the combination of clams and Parm, but we swear it’s delicious.

Let this creamy, herb-packed seafood dinner convince you that clams deserve a spot in your weeknight dinner rotation.

Rolling out and shaping this handmade pasta together is the fun part. Make the dough a day ahead, wrap in plastic, and keep chilled.

Chicken, seafood, glass noodles, and vegetables get briefly poached in dashi-based broth. Cutting the ingredients into uniform pieces ensures they cook in the same amount of time.

The clams give up all their essence in this rich coconut-based stock. It's great for curries, or use it as the liquid base for a pot of steamed mussels or littleneck clams.

You can infuse your shellfish with smoky flavor (and keep the smells out of the house) by throwing it on the grill. The lobster, shrimp and clams here are meant to be cooked at the same time and served with three sauces for mixing and matching. If you make the sauces in advance, the mixed grill comes together in less than a half hour. For a simpler dinner, you can absolutely make one type of seafood and one of the sauces; just make sure to increase the quantities as needed.