In this case , I am going to look for an alternative to white flour spaghetti - something equally satisfactory , but more nutritious . My first thought was wholewheat pasta . My second was barley , which is even more healthful . One great source of fiber , barley is taking place well known for rice . I am pretty sure we'll be fine stand- in for spaghetti , too, not least because it offers nuts taste pleasant contrast to the misery of spaghetti .
The only trouble with barley ( and it is true of many of my favorite whole grains , including brown rice and wheat berries ) is that it can take over 40 minutes to cook . Who has that kind of time on a weeknight ?
Well , problem solved . I long ago waived worried about the exact ratio of liquid to grain . Instead , I cook the barley the way I cook pasta - in plenty of boiling , lightly salted water . This is much less stressful than measuring , and faster , too. Also , I cook a lot more than I need for one meal , then packing up the extra for future meals , wrap well and freeze . Next time I want barley as the base for time, it is very fast to do.
The fresh fennel and cherry tomatoes here take this recipe towards the Mediterranean. If you can not find , or just do not like it , fresh fennel ( licorice aroma with its slightly ) , you can leave it out or replace it with some celery or leeks. Tomatoes are my go- to cherry tomatoes fresh tomato season when the summer has passed and the only full-size tomatoes on the shelf in the cardboard - impostors unworthy of the name .
Then again , if you do not like the cherry tomatoes in your supermarket , use canned tomatoes instead.
Finally , I have added one of my favorite little garnish to finish this dish : sauteed breadcrumbs . Sounds ordinary , but they are anything but . After you make the recipe the first time , you may find yourself adding all wild sauteed dish with breadcrumbs .
Barley WITH SAUCE Clam
- 3 tbsp dry breadcrumbs , preferably Italian - style
- 2 tablespoons and 1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil , divided
- 1 cup chopped yellow onion
- 1 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh fennel medium
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes
- 3 dozen littleneck clams , well scrubbed
- 3 cups cooked pearl barley
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
In a small saucepan over medium heat , combine bread crumbs and 1 teaspoon of oil . Cook , stirring constantly , until golden brown , about 2 to 3 minutes . Devoted to cool.
In the meantime , in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium , heat 2 tablespoons of the remaining oil . Add the onion and fennel , turn the heat to medium - low and cook , stirring occasionally, until they are soft , about 5 minutes . Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook , stirring for 1 minute .
Add the wine , tomatoes and clams , cover tightly and increase heat to high . Cook for 5-7 minutes , checking every now and then and transferring clams as they open into a bowl . Discard any clams that do not open .
Add the barley to the clam liquid left in the pan over a medium heat , stirring , for 3 minutes . Return the scallops to the pan and cook , stirring , until they are heated through. Spoon the mixture into 4 pasta or soup bowls and top each portion with a quarter of the sauteed bread crumbs and parsley . Makes 4 servings .
Nutrition information per serving : 400 calories , 90 calories from fat ( 23 percent of total calories ), 10 g fat ( 1.5 g saturated , 0 g trans fats ), 45 mg cholesterol , 50 g carbohydrate , 7 g fiber ; 4 g sugar ; 22 g protein , 240 mg sodium .
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