Chef John's Spaghetti with Red Clam Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons capers
• 1 tablespoon anchovy paste
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 jar tomato pasta sauce , 24 ounce
• 0.25 cups water
• 1 cup good-quality crisp white wine
• 2 cans chopped clams , 6.5 ounce
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1 pound dry spaghetti
• 0.25 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• fresh basil leaves or flat-leaf parsley , chopped

Instructions

1. 1

   Pour olive oil into cold skillet. Add garlic, capers, anchovy paste, and red pepper flakes. Place over medium heat; cook and stir until oil infused with flavors, about 5 minutes, taking care not to brown garlic. Add tomato sauce; rinse jar with 1/4 cup water and add to skillet. Add wine and juice from clams, reserving clams; bring to a simmer until slightly reduced and thickened, 7 to 9 minutes.

2. 2

   Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until nearly tender yet firm to the bite, about 1 minute less than directed on package for al dente. Drain. Return spaghetti to the pot off heat.

3. 3

   Stir in clams. Pour sauce over spaghetti; stir. Cover the pot; let sit, off heat, to allow spaghetti to absorb some sauce, about 3 minutes. Stir in Parmesan cheese; top with chopped fresh basil and/or parsley.