Lightened Up Spaghetti with White Wine Clam Sauce

WW Recipe of the Day: Spaghetti with White Wine Clam Sauce

We enjoyed this lightened up spaghetti with white wine clam sauce for dinner last night. It's adapted a from this Weight Watchers recipe, that seemed to need a little tweaking, based on the reviews.

Lighter Spaghetti with White Wine Clam Sauce

I'm a huge fan of linguini and clam sauce. It's quick and easy, coming together in minutes, with minimal ingredients that I've usually got on hand. But some recipes for linguini and clam sauce can be really high in calories and WW Points values.

For years I used a recipe given to me my a friend, that had a stick of butter and ½ cup olive oil and a whole lot of Parmesan in it.

Yes, it was delicious. And yes, it was just that kind of cooking and eating that landed me in Weight Watchers!
 

Recipe Notes

This version has only 1 tablespoon of olive oil, so it's low in fat.

The red pepper flakes give it a nice little kick, but if you're not a fan, leave them out.

Weight Watchers Friendly Spaghetti & White Wine Clam Sauce

And I added an extra can of clams, since they're a WW Power Food and I like my linguini (or in this case, gluten-free brown rice spaghetti) with lots of clams.

How Many Calories and Points in this Spaghetti Clam Sauce Dinner?

According to my calculations each serving made with regular spaghetti has 334 calories and:

10 *SmartPoints (Green plan)
10 *SmartPoints (Blue plan)
10 *SmartPoints (Purple plan)
9 *PointsPlus (Old plan)

Save points by substituting whole wheat spaghetti.

Each serving made with whole wheat spaghetti has:

9 *SmartPoints (Green plan)
9 *SmartPoints (Blue plan)
2 *SmartPoints (Purple plan)

To see your WW PersonalPoints for this recipe and track it in the WW app or site, Click here!

We enjoyed a plate of tomatoes and mozzarella with our spaghetti and clams (Oops, I shot the photo before I sprinkled it with salt and drizzled it with olive oil.)

Tomatoes and Mozzarella

Cooking Notes and Ingredient Substitutions:

Have all your ingredients measured and prepared before you start cooking. That way you can give your attention to the sauce, which will be ready in about the time it takes your pasta to cook.

If you don't have white wine, substitute ¼ cup of bottled clam juice instead.

I used brown rice spaghetti to keep it gluten-free, but use whatever kind of linguini or spaghetti you like best.

If you enjoy this lightened up white wine clam sauce with spaghetti, be sure to check out my other Weight Watchers friendly recipes including Slow Cooker Manhattan Clam Chowder, Shrimp Risotto, WW Budget Bouillabaisse, New England Fish Chowder and Sheet Pan Roasted Shrimp & Broccoli

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If you've made this Spaghetti with Clam Sauce, please give the recipe a star rating below and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. And stay in touch on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.

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4.55 from 11 votes

Lightened Up Spaghetti with White Wine Clam Sauce

A deliciously light and healthy pasta recipe you can make from your pantry in minutes!

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Total Time30 minutes mins

Servings (adjustable): 6

Calories: 334

Author: Martha McKinnon | Simple Nourished Living

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 pound uncooked linguini or spaghetti (I used brown rice spaghetti)
• ▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ▢ 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
• ▢ ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• ▢ ¼ cup dry white wine
• ▢ ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
• ▢ 2 teaspoons fresh basil, chopped
• ▢ 3 cans (6.5 ounces each) minced or chopped clams, drained with liquid reserved
• ▢ Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Cook the spaghetti, according to instructions on package until it's al dente and then drain it well.
• Meanwhile, in a large skillet (affiliate link) or saucepan, gently heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring constantly, for about 15 to 20 seconds, until fragrant.
• Add the reserved clam juice and white wine. Bring to a boil and then continue to boil, uncovered, for about 1 minute.
• Reduce the heat to low and simmer gently until the liquid begins to reduce, about 5 minutes.
• Add the clams and simmer until just heated, about 30 to 60 seconds. Then stir in the parsley and basil.
• Add pasta and toss until it's well coated, about 30 to 45 seconds.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Equipment

5-Quart Pot

Skillet

Chef Knife

Recipe Notes

Have all your ingredients measured and prepared before you start cooking. That way you can give your attention to the sauce, which will be ready in about the time it takes your pasta to cook.

If you don't have white wine, substitute ¼ cup of bottled clam juice instead.

I used brown rice spaghetti to keep it gluten-free, but use whatever kind of linguini or spaghetti you like best.

Serving size: 1-⅓ cups

Click here to see your WW PersonalPoints for this recipe and track it in the WW app or site.

Each serving made with regular spaghetti has:

10 *SmartPoints (Green plan)

10 *SmartPoints (Blue plan)

10 *SmartPoints (Purple plan)

9 *PointsPlus (Old plan)

Each serving made with whole wheat spaghetti has:

9 *SmartPoints (Green plan)

9 *SmartPoints (Blue plan)

2 *SmartPoints (Purple plan)

Nutrition Facts

Lightened Up Spaghetti with White Wine Clam Sauce

Amount Per Serving (1 -⅓ cups)

Calories 334 Calories from Fat 24

% Daily Value*

Fat 2.7g4%

Carbohydrates 64.7g22%

Fiber 1.1g4%

Protein 10.8g22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: linguine with chopped clams, low-fat white wine clam sauce, pasta with clams

Did you make this recipe?Mention @simplenourishedliving on Instagram and tag #simplenourishedliving - we love to see your creations!

*Points® calculated by WW. *PointsPlus® and SmartPoints® calculated by Simple Nourished Living; Not endorsed by Weight Watchers International, Inc. All recipe ingredients except optional items included in determining nutritional estimates. SmartPoints® values calculated WITHOUT each plan's ZeroPoint Foods (Green plan, Blue plan, Purple plan) using the WW Recipe Builder.

If you like this spaghetti with white wine clam sauce, check out these links:

• My recipe for pasta alla puttanesca
• A recipe for steamed clams with fresh basil (SkinnyTaste)
• My recipe for skinny pasta with broccoli and chicken
• A recipe for linguini with spicy red clam sauce (Cooking Light)

Did you know that clams have more iron than beef? Here's an interesting article on the health benefits of clams (LiveStrong)

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