Vongole, vongole!

Unleashing the genie in the olive oil bottle. Plus three plant-based recipes to go.

As I unpacked my groceries one evening about 10 days ago, I must have inadvertently rubbed the greenie-gold bottle of organic Tunisian olive oil I’d picked up on special. Lo and behold, a food genie slithered up and out, facing me in the kitchen.

“Pasta,” I said, wasting no time. “My wish is that pasta instantly becomes the healthiest thing we can eat.”

“Done!” said the genie (who reminded me later, as we enjoyed a lusty plate of spaghetti vongole, that they identify as genie/jinn/djinn).

I hope they’re not messing with me, because now I’m all in with the noodles.

🧞

Earlier, I’d been staring at the seafood counter, trying to conjure something quick to prepare, and delicious. You can call me thrifty or call me a cheapskate, but it requires an Act of Congress for me to spring more than $14 a pound on fish or fowl (or shellfish or meat). Someone must be buying those gorgeous, thick halibut filets, but unfortunately it’s never me. Living not too far from the Gulf of Mexico, as we do, plump wild shrimp is often the answer, and frequently on special. But we’d had those a couple days earlier.

The guy in front of me opted for clams. Genius move! I followed suit. We could have big bowls of them, steamed with white wine and garlic or shallots, and maybe a touch of something porky — guanciale, or serrano ham. But that would require dunking good crusty bread sourdough in their broth, and the only bakery where I can get good bread is temporarily closed. Still, I pounced — I’d figure it out.

Thirty-two clams in my possession, along with that bottle of Tunisian olive oil, I headed home.

Enter the genie, and their solution to the clam conundrum: pasta liberation.

Spaghetti vongole was the answer.