Spaghetti A La Pismo Beach
Contributed by Mary Giambalve.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 c. chopped steamed Pismo Clams with broth
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1/4 c. oil
- About 1 Tbsp. flour
- 1 Tbsp. fresh minced oregano or 1/2 tsp. dried oregano leaves
- 1 tsp. minced fresh parsley
- Hot boiled spaghetti (about an 8 oz. pkg.)
Method
- Saute garlic in oil over low heat.
- Stir in flour and cook over low heat until bubbly.
- Stir in enough clam juice from broth of steamed clams until sauce is only slightly thickened. If sauce is too thick and you have not more clam juice, a small amount of water may be added to make it the right consistency.
- Add oregano, basil and parsley. Fresh herbs are best but not necessary.
- Add clams. Allow only to heat through. Prolonged cooking will toughen clams.
- Toss some of the sauce with cooked spaghetti, reserving most to pour over top.
Notes from the transcription
- This dish is good served with a salad made from local avocados and a dessert made from local strawberries.
- ⚠️ The method calls for basil, which does not appear in the printed ingredient list. Transcribed as printed.
Original page from the cookbook
About this recipe
This recipe is transcribed verbatim from a spiral-bound community cookbook produced in Pismo Beach, California. The book was a fundraising publication of the type common to civic groups, church auxiliaries, and fishing communities on the California coast in the mid-twentieth century — recipes contributed by named cooks, illustrated with hand-drawn section dividers, and printed locally.
Spellings, measurements, and ingredient lists are preserved as they appeared in print, including typographic quirks and any inconsistencies. Where an ingredient is used in the method but was missing from the printed ingredient block, it has been added to the list here so the recipe is self-contained; every such addition is taken word-for-word from the printed method.
The full yesteryear collection preserves 123 recipes from this book. The modern collection is open to new contributions from today's Pismo clammers.