Linguine with White Clam Sauce
Linguine with White Clam Sauce is the dish that taught me the unwritten Italian rule of no cheese on seafood. When I first started working at my father’s restaurant as a busboy, we would bring cheese to the table and offer to sprinkle it on the pasta dishes. I was told early on not to offer it for Linguine with White Clam Sauce, because cheese does not go on seafood. I was told not to offer it, but if the customer asked for it, then I should put it on. We were not cheese nazis after all (“No cheese for you!”).
Most of the time you will only see this made with the shelled chopped up clams and their juices. But we like to include some whole clams in the shell steamed open. If you are going to do that, use littlenecks, they are smaller and sweeter than cherrystones and look better in the shell on the plate. That is purely optional though.
If the idea of shelling more than a dozen clams doesn’t appeal to you, ask them to shell them for you at your favorite fish market. Just make sure they pack them with their juices when they give them to you.
The Three Things That Matter
The clam juice is the sauce. There is no cream and no heavy reduction here. The liquid from the clams, loosened with olive oil and white wine, is the whole sauce. That is why you reserve every drop of juice when the clams are shelled. If you buy them shelled from the fishmonger, make sure they pack the juices with them.
Do not overcook the clams. Clams turn rubbery fast. Once they go into the pan with their juices, a short simmer is all they need.
Finish the pasta in the sauce. Drain the linguine while it still has a little bite, then toss it in the pan with some of the sauce so it soaks up flavor as it finishes. Do not drown plated pasta in sauce it never absorbed.
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Linguine with White Clam Sauce
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 to 6 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 18 littleneck or cherrystone clams, shelled and chopped, juices reserved and strained through cheesecloth or a very fine mesh strainer
- 1 dozen additional small clams (littlenecks) left in the shell
- 1 pound linguine
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
- Soak the dozen whole clams in ice water for 15 minutes to remove all sediment, and then drain.
- Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat.
- Add the garlic and cook until lightly browned.
- Add the dozen clams in their shells and the white wine and cover the pan.
- Once the clams open after about 5-7 minutes, discard any that don’t. Add the chopped clams with their reserved juices and 1 tablespoon of the chopped parsley. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cook 2-3 minutes.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the linguine. Cook uncovered over high heat until al dente.
- Drain the pasta, return it to the pot, add some of the sauce, and toss to coat.
- Dish out the pasta, spooning the remaining sauce over the top. Arrange the whole clams in the shell on top if using. Garnish with remaining chopped parsley.
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
Make Ahead, Storage, and Reheating
- Make ahead: This is best cooked and served right away. You can chop the clams and mince the garlic ahead.
- Storage: Leftovers keep 1 to 2 days refrigerated.
- Reheating: Reheat gently in a pan with a splash of water or wine. Do not microwave, the clams will become tough.
