I made Spaghetti with White Clam Sauce.....from SCRATCH!!!! I am practically a chef!

I've been somewhat bored with cooking lately. It seems like I cook all the time but I make the same things over and over again. So, I am trying to break out of the rut. About a month ago I was shopping at BJ's and they had chopped, canned clams, in a 6 pack. I can't remember the price but I know they were reasonable or I wouldn't have purchased them. I had never used canned clams but my kids LOVE seafood of all types and I figured I would give them a try. After I got them home I quickly forgot about them and lost all motivation to try anything new. That is until this week. It was one of the days that I waited until about 4:30 (about the time I saw Jake pull in the driveway) to decide what I would make for dinner. I hadn't thawed a single thing which lead to the desperate search for something that is hassle free. That is when I spotted those clams. I quickly rushed down to the computer to look up recipes. I found many that looked absolutely fabulous but I decided to combine a few and make my own. The results were so gooooood. It took longer took get the water boiling than it did to whip up the sauce and it was seriously as good (if not better) than something you would order at a fancy eatery. Here is my recipe. Let me know if you ever try it.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 (16 ounce) package dry pasta (I used spaghetti but most called for linguine)
  
• 1 onion, chopped
• a dash of garlic powder (only because I was out of garlic)
  
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 (6.5 ounce) cans minced clams
• 1/2 cup butter
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons dry white wine (I used chardonnay...is that dry????)
• fresh basil (chopped)
• fresh grated parmesan cheese
  

DIRECTIONS

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add pasta and return water to a boil. Let pasta cook until al dente; drain well.
2. In a large skillet, saute the onion and garlic in olive oil until the onions are translucent. Drain the cans of minced clams, reserving half of the juice.
3. Stir the clams, reserved juice, butter, salt and pepper, and wine. Simmer the mixture for 20 minutes, until the sauce has reduced 1/3 and has thickened.
4. Spoon the clam sauce over the pasta and serve.
5. Top with basil and cheese.