Padma Lakshmi's Seafood Spaghettini with Chipotle & Green Olive Paste

From Padma’s new book, The Encyclopedia of Spices & Herbs.

Serves 4

You will need:
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 large yellow onions, quartered
2 lemons, sliced into rings
7 or 8 bay leaves
1 lb spaghettini
1 tablespoon sea salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup olive oil
2 lbs Manila clams
1 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Fill 2 large pots with water and bring them to a boil, 1 for the pasta and 1 for the clams.
While the water is boiling, prepare the ingredients for the sauce.
In a bowl, combine the garlic, chipotle peppers, capers, anchovy paste, green olive paste, oregano, and thyme.
When the water for the clams boils, add the onions, sliced lemons, and bay leaves.
When the water for the pasta boils, add the spaghettini and sea salt, and stir.
From here, timing is essential; it is important for the 3 separate processes (clams, spaghettini, sauce) to be ready simultaneously, but whereas the pasta takes 5 to 7 minutes to cook, the clams and sauce need only to be heated for 4 minutes.
When approaching serving time, heat the butter and oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat, and sauté the garlic-herb mixture.
Now add the clams to the boiling lemon water and stir.
Sauté the sauce and cook the clams for 4 minutes—you’ll know they’re ready when the shells open widely. Do not overcook the clams!
Drain the clams in a colander, remove the bay leaves and lemon slices, and add the clams to the sauce, turning o the heat.
Stir together to evenly distribute the avors, and cover.