Pasta with Spicy Red Clam Sauce

I continue my series on tomatoes today with a spicy red clam sauce.

I heard a discussion the other day about getting kids to eat better. On theory offered was the one bite rule. If I remember right, that was my mom's point of view -- mostly. And she wasn't a short order cook. We ate what was there, or we didn't eat at all.

On the other hand, I remember my mom forcing me to eat just one more bite of broccoli when I was maybe three or four. I gagged. And didn't eat broccoli for nearly 20 years. I've now learned to tolerate it, but if given a choice between broccoli and another green veggie.. I'll most likely skip on the broccoli.

I guess being asked to try new things is one reason I've become an adventerous eater. And this recipe is an example of how I'm willing to try anything once. I've actually never had clams. Ever.
I'm fairly sure canned clams aren't the best way to enjoy them. But they didn't taste like much, really.

If you're not as adventurous or know you don't like clams you could probably leave them out. Although maybe clams have some kind of antioxidant power that makes them worth including them. I haven't brushed up on my super foods lately, so I can't really say either way.

What I did taste were the fresh herbs, garlic and onion. You can't go wrong there. I might make this again. I like the basic idea of the sauce and can see myself adapting this in many different ways.