Fresh Clam Pasta

The weather is heating up, the days are longer, and dinner parties are back. During the summer, we don’t like to spend too much time inside cooking – we love easy, approachable recipes that can impress a crowd, pair well with our wines, and allow us to enjoy that golden hour outside with our guests. Here at Wente Vineyards, we love to host dinners near the vineyards, surrounded by the terroir that defines us, including those Central Coast breezes that make our wines so special. To recreate that magic wherever your home terroir might find you, we’re loving this fresh clam pasta recipe from Chef Kevin O’Connor, which adds the perfect amount of brightness from the herbs and lemon to counterbalance the kiss of cream in the sauce. Best of all? It pairs perfectly with our 2021 Morning Fog Chardonnay, with its fresh citrus, green apple, and hints of toasty oak. Named for the Central Coast morning fog that blows in off the Pacific and over the San Francisco Bay on its way through the Livermore Valley, Morning Fog Chardonnay evokes those refreshing coastal gusts with every sip. There’s just something about that briny sea air that makes us crave seafood pasta like this one on the regular. Balanced and crisp (and just $18 per bottle!), this wine pairing is the perfect foil for Chef Kevin’s delectable creation. We sat down with Chef Kevin to share his recipe, step-by-step, and we’re pleased to say it’s as easy as it is delicious.