Sauteed Clams with Chickpea Cream

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup, plus 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1/4 small chile pepper, minced
• 3 pounds Littleneck clams, cleaned well
• 3 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons fresh minced Italian parsley
• 1 lemon zested into thin strips, and juiced
• Serving suggestion: 4 slices toasted country bread

Directions

In a large saute pan, heat 1/4 cup oil, garlic, and chile pepper over medium-high heat and cook until garlic is lightly brown. Remove garlic from pan. Add clams and cover pan. Cook until clams steam open, about 5 to 10 minutes. Remove clams from pan and place in a dish. Add some steaming juices to keep clams warm. Cover. Reserve remaining steaming juice; it should be about 1 cup.

Pour 1 cup reserved juice into blender and add chickpeas. Process until smooth. Season with salt, if necessary, and pepper. Divide puree among 4 shallow bowls. Top with clams and sprinkle with parsley. Combine the lemon zest and remaining olive oil, and drizzle over the top. Serve right away with toasted bread, if desired.