Fresh Clam and Noodle Soup

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• plus more for drizzling
• 1 large onion
• finely chopped
• 2 medium carrots
• thinly sliced
• 2 celery ribs
• thinly sliced
• 4 garlic cloves
• thinly sliced
• One 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 2 cups bottled clam juice
• 2 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• Large pinch of saffron threads
• crumbled
• 1/4 pound thin spaghetti
• broken into 1-inch pieces (1 cup)
• 2 pounds cockles or Manila clams
• scrubbed
• Three 1-inch strips of orange zest
• Freshly ground pepper

Instructions

1. In a large soup pot, heat the 1/4 cup of olive oil until shimmering.
2. Add the onion, carrots, celery and garlic.
3. Cover and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.
4. Add the tomatoes and their juices, the clam juice, stock, wine, tomato paste and saffron and bring to a boil.
5. Add the pasta, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until barely tender, 6 minutes.
6. Add the cockles and orange zest and cook uncovered until the cockles open, about 3 minutes; discard the orange zest.
7. Season the soup with pepper, ladle it into bowls and drizzle with olive oil.