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Clam Linguine Recipe

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4.4 from 85 reviews

Clam Linguine, or Linguine alle Vongole, is a classic Italian seafood pasta dish featuring tender littleneck clams cooked in a lemony white wine sauce with garlic, olive oil, and fresh parsley. The linguine is perfectly tossed in the flavorful clam broth, creating a harmonious balance of briny clams, zesty lemon, and a touch of heat from red pepper flakes. This recipe serves four and is ideal for a satisfying coastal meal.

Ingredients

Scale

Clams and Pasta

  • 3 to 4 pounds littleneck clams, cleaned
  • 1 pound linguine

Clam Sauce

  • 1/4 cup olive oil, plus additional for serving
  • 5 to 8 cloves garlic, chopped (adjust to taste)
  • 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (more or less, to taste)
  • 1 cup dry white wine (choose a bottle you’d drink)
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (adjust to taste)
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley, plus 2 tablespoons for garnish
  • Kosher salt, to taste

Instructions

  1. Clean and Sort Clams: Sort and clean the littleneck clams thoroughly following fresh clam cleaning guidelines to remove sand and grit.
  2. Cook Linguine: In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook linguine until just shy of al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain reserving 1/2 to 1 cup of pasta water.
  3. Prepare Garlic and Pepper Flakes: While pasta cooks, heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a deep skillet or braiser over medium heat. Add chopped garlic and crushed red pepper flakes, sautéing until garlic is lightly browned and fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
  4. Steam Clams: Add the white wine, lemon juice, and cleaned clams to the skillet. Cover and steam over medium-high heat until clams open, about 5-8 minutes, shaking pan occasionally. Remove opened clams as they cook and tent with foil. Discard any that don’t open after 10-13 minutes.
  5. Finish Sauce: Once all clams are cooked and removed, whisk 3 tablespoons butter into the steaming clam liquid simmering in the pan.
  6. Toss Pasta in Sauce: Add the drained linguine to the pan with the clam broth and toss to coat. Cook for about 2 minutes until pasta is al dente, adding reserved pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce.
  7. Add Parsley and Season: Stir in chopped parsley and season the pasta with kosher salt, more red pepper flakes, and lemon juice to taste.
  8. Serve Clams: Either remove clam meat from half the shells to mix into the pasta or serve with whole clams for guests to shell themselves.
  9. Garnish and Serve: Drizzle with extra olive oil, garnish with remaining parsley and fresh lemon wedges. Serve immediately with crusty bread for dipping.

Notes

  • Cleaning clams properly is crucial to avoid sandy pasta. Soak in salted water and scrub shells well.
  • Adjust garlic and red pepper flakes according to your preferred level of heat and pungency.
  • Use a dry white wine you enjoy drinking, as it impacts the flavor of the sauce.
  • Reserve some pasta water to help the sauce cling to the noodles if it seems dry.
  • Do not overcook clams to keep them tender and avoid toughness.
  • Serving with crusty bread helps soak up the delicious clam broth.

Find it online: https://yumfoodusa.com/clam-linguine-recipe-2/