I participated in Mom Blog Tour at the Summer Fancy Food Show (#MomBlogTourFF) on behalf of Wendy’s Bloggers and received Capatriti Extra Virgin Olive Oil products to facilitate my review. The opinions here are my own. You can read my full disclosure policy here.
We use olive oil in the kitchen all the time and after meeting Capatriti at the Summer Fancy Food Show this past summer I am glad I finally know what to look for when choosing one off the shelves at the grocery store!
Capatriti Extra Virgin Olive Oil
You know when you go to the store to buy olive oil there are so many different brands? And which one do you buy? The one that’s on sale, the one in the fanciest bottle, the one with the darkest color? I honestly didn’t know how to tell the difference until I met with the folks from Capatriti Extra Virgin Olive Oil. All olive oil is NOT the same!
Capatriti EVOO is leading the charge in integrity in product labeling and quality. It turns out that not all extra virgin olive oil on the shelves is what it claims to be. Capatriti EVOO is real extra virgin olive oil.
See that USDA Quality Seal on the bottles? That tells you that what you’re getting is in fact extra virgin olive oil. Other brands can dilute their EVOO with other oils. And you know that EVOO is healthy for you, but you only get those benefits if that’s what you’re using. You don’t really know with oils that don’t have that USDA seal.
Having the USDA Quality Seal means that the USDA can show up at the Capatriti EVOO factory whenever they want to, unannounced, and tour and take samples to test. They are guaranteeing that what’s in Capatriti EVOO bottles is legitimate, first cold press extra virgin olive oil.
I can tell you I’ve tried a few different brands over the years and they do all taste a little bit different. No wonder! They might not all have been real EVOO. That’s why you want to look for Capatriti and that USDA Quality Seal.
And look at the color! It has that delicious taste that’s perfect for cooking and just dipping bread in. I could have eaten this whole platter. Delicious!
Linguine and Clam Sauce Recipe
Linguine with Clam Sauce is one of my favorite meals. I often order it when we’re out at an Italian restaurant, and I make it at home, too, but with a canned sauce. This was my first go at making it on my own, and it was actually really easy and tasted SO much better!
It’s a two-pot dish, one for the clams and sauce and one for the pasta, and there are a few steps here but it’s not difficult at all. Read through the whole recipe before you get started.
We finished it off with a drizzle of Capatriti EVOO to bring it all together. Here’s the recipe:
- Approximately 5 tablespoons Capatriti Extra Virgin Olive Oil (divided)
- 9 cloves garlic, divided
- 50 littleneck clams, cleaned and rinsed
- 1 cup white wine (I used Sauvignon Blanc)
- ½ cup water
- 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes (see note)
- 1 lb. linguine
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, chopped
- 2 tablespoons oregano, chopped
- ½ cup shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (optional)
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat in a saucepan that has a lid. Add 5 cloves of crushed garlic (just smash them, no need to chop).
- Cook until the garlic is aromatic and turns golden brown, then discard the garlic. You are just flavoring the oil.
- Add the wine and water to the flavored oil and half of the clams (just eyeball it). Cover the pan and bring to a low boil, cooking about 10 minutes until the clam shells open.
- Remove the clams from the pan and allow the liquid to continue to cook at a slow bubble to reduce. Meanwhile, remove the cooked clams from the shells. Save the clams, discard the shells.
- Pour the cooking liquid into a measuring cup and reserve it.
- Use the same saucepan, again add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add two of the remaining cloves of garlic, smashed, and cook until browned and aromatic.
- While that garlic is cooking, heat a large pot of salted water and bring to a boil. Once it boils, cook the linguine just short of being done (about 1 minute less than what the package directs). You'll finish it in the clam cooking liquid.
- After your garlic has browned, remove it from the oil and discard it. Add the remaining two cloves of garlic, chopped, to the oil. Then add the remaining clams and the reserved cooking liquid. Be careful not to pour in any sediment that might have settled to the bottom. Just discard that.
- Cover the pan and cook until the clams open. Once they are open, remove them from the pan and place in a dish to stay warm. I put them in a metal bowl covered with aluminum foil.
- Add the butter and the cooked clams you removed from their shells to the saucepan and stir until melted.
- Bring the liquid to a boil and add the drained pasta and fresh herbs. Toss with tongs to combine and cook for a few minutes until the pasta is completely done and the sauce begins to thicken.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the cheese if using. Add the cooked clams that are still in their shells to the top of the dish.
- Finish with a drizzle of olive oil, about a tablespoon (just eyeball it).
This easily made 6 servings so it would be a nice dish to serve if you had company. I really like that the entire meal is in one pot. And it’s got amazing flavor with the red pepper flakes, clams, and Capatriti EVOO.
You can learn more about Capatriti EVOO and their commitment to quality on their website and by following along on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Love recipes? Their Pinterest feed is pretty yummy (some good ideas for other uses for olive oil, too!).
The Giveaway
The generous folks at Capatriti are offering my readers a great giveaway! One of you will win a Capatriti Extra Virgin Olive Oil prize pack that includes olive oil, an apron, and a decanter. This giveaway is open to US residents only, ages 18+, and will end at 11:59pm ET on October 5, 2016.
One winner per household, email address, or home address. If you have won this prize on another blog you are ineligible to win again. Winner must have a U.S.-based address to receive the prize.
Good luck!
I love making linguini and oil with garlic, tomatoes and black olives!!
I like to put Olive Oil on my bread before I put it in the oven to toast or put it on my pasta for flavor.
I drizzle it on veggies when I roast them.
I use olive oil for so many things! One of my favorite is homemade marinara sauce with fresh tomatoes from our garden. A good olive oil makes a lot of difference in taste.
I like to make homemade Salad Dressing with Olive Oil. Thanks for educating us on the
less in quality oils on the shelves.
I like using olive oil in homemade dressings.
i use to fry my chicken breast in
I use EVOO on a caprese salad with fresh mozzarella, tomato and basil leaves.
My favorite use is for a eggplant salad. I grill the eggplant and then scoop out the eggplant and add chopped red onions, tomatoes, parsley, olive oil, salt pepper and lemon.
I love using olive oil as a dipping sauce for bread with balsamic vinegar and for homemade salad dressings.
in salad dressings
I like to make my own salad dressing.
I like to make pasta and chicken dishes with olive oil.
I like to make homemade lemon pepper pasta, and I love tossing it with olive oil and parmesean!
I love to put a little olive oil in a pan add some walnuts, broccoli and eggplant some really good seasoning and that is one of my favorite meals.
I use EVOO in everything. I have pretty much eliminated vegetable oil.
I like to use it in stir fry.
I love to cook or roast vegetables in olive oil. I probably do it almost every single day!
Margot C recently posted..#Win The Entire Collection Of @GordonRamsay Cookbooks
I like putting it in salads!
Edye recently posted..How To Increase Your Blog Traffic With Pinterest
I like to cook with it!
I love using a really good olive oil when I make pesto.
It’s the type of oil I use in all my salad dressings.
I use EVOO a lot and some of those ways are frying up onions and peppers to put on sandwiches or burgers, I love drizzling it over chicken and adding Italian spices.
I use olive oil in baking and also when I cook fish and many other items like coating the meats I cook and season.I make with it too. I use it 5 times a week
My favorite use for extra virgin olive oil is making salad dressing.
My favorite use for Olive Oil is to use it when making my homemade salad dressing!
I love using EVOO to grill vegetables in foil!
making salad dressing and roll my biscuits in
We love Capatriti!
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My favorite use for extra virgin olive oil is to make salad dressings! Thanks for an awesome giveaway!
I cook with it daily! and it makes a nice soap!
I love EVOO for making Bruchetta
I like in salad dressings
I feel like it’s mandatory when making anything Italian. All pastas. I use it to sauté veggies. I always have it on hand.
I love the taste of olive oil in salad in homemade salad dressing.
We love using it on pasta and when roasting vegetables.
I love olive, and would use extra virgin olive oil daily to make salads, or making food for my little one
Thank You
I love using olive oil to make kale chips
I use oil for my salads and pasta dishes.
I like to use olive oil on salads and for stir frys!
I love to use olive oil to saute mushrooms..
I love your take on linguine and clam! I’ll need to give this one a try.
I like to make my own salad dressing. Using fresh herbs and olive oil.
sprinkled on veggies with parmesan cheese
I use it to saute my veggies
I use Olive Oil in a lot of recipes. I use it to saute meat in various dishes for my husband.
I love to use olive oil when cooking, chicken, shrimp, anything!
Drizzle some on top of my homemade hummus. Thanks for the chance to win!
We like it in a salad dressing or when we make vegetables.
Well, naturally I use it on almost everything. I love making a homemade vinaigrette dressing and I love to cook my meat and veggies in it. Also, mixed with fresh herbs is great for bread dipping!
My sister makes a vinegarette salad dressing for the holidays. It’s good for a cucumber and tomato salad.
I use olive for almost everything but love to make a dips for dipping bread when having company over.
My hubby and I use it on most everything. Stir frying vegetables is my favorite .
My favorite use for olive oil is adding it to vegetables that I am cooking. Green beans and a mixed vegetable bake are my two favorites.
We only cook with olive oil and I use it for a ton of stuff such as herbal remedies. I always buy the giant bottle because we use so much.
I use olive oil to prepare (fry) my diced chicken.
drizzling on pasta