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The best capellini with cappelini pasta, clams and cherry tomatoes in a light lemon-butter sauce. This capellini recipe is so easy and takes only 20 minutes to make!
Capellini Pasta
What is capellini?
Capellini is a variety of pasta. Capellini noodles are very thin, measuring only 0.85 to 0.92 mm in diameter. They are shaped like spaghetti.
This capellini recipe is one of my favorite pasta recipes; it’s loaded with fresh clams and cherry tomatoes.
Capellini Pasta Ingredients
This recipe is inspired by a similar dish at my favorite Italian restaurant. The recipe calls for the main ingredients below:
- Clams. You may use Manila clams, little neck clams, cherry stone clams, or cockle clams.
- Cherry tomatoes.
- Garlic.
- Capers.
- White wine.
- Lemon juice.
This recipe is bursting with the briny taste of clams, the sweetness of cherry tomatoes, and the inviting lemon-butter sauce.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients.
How To Cook Capelini
This recipe is so easy to make at home. First, cook the noodles according to the package instructions. Make sure you don’t overcook the noodles as they cook fast.
Heat up a skillet with some olive oil, butter and sauté the garlic and capers. Add the clams, white wine, lemon juice and bring it to a simmer.
Toss in the capellini pasta noodles and cherry tomatoes, stir well and you’re done!
Frequently Asked Questions
Both pasta noodles are very similar. Capellini is slightly thicker than angel hair pasta with each strand of noodle measuring 0.85 mm – 0.92 mm thick while angel hair is 0.78 mm – 0.88 mm in thickness.
Follow the package instructions and use salted water to cook the noodles. To avoid clumping, stir to loosen up the pasta noodles while they are cooking in hot boiling water.
This recipe is only 486 calories per serving.
What To Serve With Capellini Pasta
For a wholesome meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.
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Capellini
Ingredients
- 8 oz capellini
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon capers
- 1 dried red chili, seeded and cut into short pieces
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1.5 lbs clams, cleaned and scrubbed
- 3/4 cup white wine
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- Salt, to taste
- 3 dashes ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder, optional
- 8 cherry tomatoes, cut into halves
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
- Lemon wedges, for garnishing
Instructions
- Bring water to a boil in a pot. Cook the capellini until al dente, according to the package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- Prepare the ingredients: minced garlic, capers, and dried red chilies
- Heat a skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil and butter. When the butter melts, add the garlic, capers, and dried red chilies. Sauté for 10 seconds.
- Add the clams and stir a few times before adding the white wine. Cover the skillet with its lid and steam the clams until they open.
- Add the lemon juice, salt, ground black pepper, and chicken bouillon powder (if using). Then, add the cherry tomatoes and parsley. Add the capellini to the skillet and stir to combine well.
- Dish out, garnish with lemon wedges, and serve immediately.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi ya Bee, Can you replace clams with another meat or sea food ? My wife isn’t to happy with clams. ( I love them ). Thanks for your recipes.
Sure you can use shrimp.
I made this dish for my daughter. It was fantastic! I had to use can chopped clams because I don’t have any where to buy fresh clams. Thank you for the recipe Bee!
Thanks!
Hello Bee,
What is another name for Cappelini noodles or pasta. There is no such pasta in Australia and we do have as many Italian immigrants here as you have in the States. I would appreciate your advice.
Angelhair pasta?
Hi Bee! Love all your recipes and the blog. This looks wonderful. One question, if there’s no way to get clams in the shell would it turn out OK with canned clams and their juice?
Thank you!
Yes you can but not recommended. Just use another seafood like shrimp.
Thank you, I love me some shrimp!