Healthy Clam Recipes

Keeping frozen corn, canned clams and clam juice on hand means spur-of-the-moment chowder in any season. If you typically compost your broccoli stems, save them for this soup--they hold up better than florets. Set out bowls of toppings like diced red bell pepper, snipped chives or more bacon.

This healthy paella recipe is inspired by the bounty of Provençal farmers' markets. Instead of sausage and chicken, fresh artichoke, green beans, fennel and onion are nestled with shellfish and white fish to create a light but delicious recipe. Serve with lemon wedges, if desired.

In this healthy clam chowder recipe, traditional heavy cream is replaced with milk and flour-thickened clam juice and we keep sodium amounts reasonable with lower-sodium clam juice instead of higher-sodium broths. By making your own creamy clam chowder, you can save up to 300 calories, 20 grams of saturated fat and 500 milligrams of sodium per serving compared to many store-bought or restaurant chowders.

The fishermen's catch of the day is transformed into a succulent seafood stew.

This simple recipe of clams cooked in a spicy Thai red curry sauce takes advantage of prepared Thai curry paste, which is available at well-stocked supermarkets and Asian-foods stores. We call for red curry paste but use whatever type you prefer. This recipe also works with about 4 pounds of mussels. Serve with crusty bread to soak up any leftover sauce.

The round, rich taste (also known as umami) of miso soup perfectly complements plump, briny clams. For the base of the soup you can use just water and miso, which you can find at most supermarkets. But if you can find dashi granules, they're worth adding for a more intense umami taste.

Chopped clams, aromatic vegetables and creamy potatoes blended with low-fat milk and just a half cup of cream gives this chunky New England-style clam chowder plenty of rich body. Serve with oyster crackers and a tossed salad to make it a meal.

Fresh corn kernels give spaghetti and clams a hint of summer clambake. Look for minced fresh clams or clam strips at the seafood counter in your market.

There's long been a feud between Manhattan's tomato-based clam chowder and the cream-based New England clam chowder. No matter which you prefer, you can't deny that this easy clam chowder will put dinner on the table before you can finish the debate.

Ripe tomato and fresh basil give this quick recipe tons of flavor. Serve this healthy pasta dinner with crusty garlic bread and steamed green beans.

This healthy spaghetti with clam sauce recipe incorporates a few twists that make it extra-delicious. The clams are steamed ahead of time to release their natural juices and create a flavorful clam broth for the base of the garlicky clam sauce. Plus, we use tarragon to add a fabulous hint of anise.

Here's an easy homemade pizza recipe that is a take on white clam pizza, which was first made famous by Frank Pepe of Pepe's Pizzeria in New Haven, Connecticut. Look for fresh clam strips in the seafood department. You can find them ready to use out of their shells at most large supermarkets. If you don't want to use fresh, we also like the briny flavor and convenience of canned chopped clams.

Cioppino is a fish stew traditionally made by Italian fishermen who settled in the North Beach/Fisherman's Wharf section of San Francisco. It was originally made on fishing boats with whatever fish were at hand. This cioppino comes to us from California chef and cooking teacher John Ash, who has been an advocate for sustainable-food issues for years and has served on the board of advisors of Seafood Watch--the advocacy arm of the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Ash chose a variety of shellfish for this recipe, all of which are Seafood Watch Best Choices or Good Alternatives.

This restaurant-worthy seafood pasta dish is a snap to make and an easy way to impress guests. We like the sweet taste and extra-saucy consistency of canned diced San Marzano tomatoes in sauces like this one. Marjoram pairs well with the seafood, but basil or even parsley works too. Serve with a Caesar salad.

Paella started as an outdoor dish. Grilling seafood, zesty sausage and vegetables before combining them with saffron-scented rice replicates that traditional character. Note that perfectly done paella rice will be dry and the slightest bit toothsome: it's not creamy or overly moist.

Lobsters, clams, mussels, potatoes and corn star in our stovetop clambake. Serve with flavor-packed sauces, like cocktail sauce or tartar sauce, and there won't be a need for the bowls of melted butter that so often turn otherwise virtuous seafood into a nutritional disaster.

Lean Canadian bacon, Parmesan cheese and an aromatic blend of chopped vegetables and herbs give our baked, stuffed clams so much flavor and crunch that you won't even miss the 6 tablespoons of butter that typically goes into this classic appetizer. They make a fabulous starter for a dinner party or a light summer entree with a fresh salad.

Here we toss a light clam sauce with whole-wheat pasta and top it with a vibrant combination of lemon zest, parsley and garlic.

Canned clams stirred into prepared salsa is the perfect appetizer for unexpected company. Serve with tortilla chips or baked pita crisps.

We use whole baby clams, chopped plum tomatoes and lots of fresh herbs to create a delicious clam sauce for pasta that has only 8 grams of fat per serving. Toasted pine nuts add complexity and rich texture to this classic Italian combination.