Linguine with clam sauce recipe

Details

• Cuisine: Italian
• Recipe Type: Main
• Difficulty: Easy
• Preparation Time: 10 mins
• Cooking Time: 15 mins
• Serves: 4

Step-by-step

1. In a large sauté pan add a few tablespoons of olive oil and the garlic cloves. Bring the pan to a medium heat and cook until the garlic becomes golden. Add the 6 dozen clams to the pan with the wine, 120ml of water and a good size pinch of the red pepper flakes. Cover the pan and bring it to a boil over medium heat until the clams open, about 10 minutes.
2. While the clams are cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium heat. Add a good pinch of salt. Drop the linguine into the salted boiling water and cook until the pasta is al dente, maybe a minute or so less than the package directs. Before you drain the cooked pasta, reserve 240ml of the water it cooked in and put aside.
3. When the clams are cooked, remove them from the pan with a slotted spoon but continue to cook the remaining cooking liquid for an extra 1-2 minutes to reduce. Let the clams cool a bit, and then remove 4 dozen from their shells, reserving the clams but discarding the shells. Keep the remaining 2 dozen clams in their shells and cover with foil to keep warm. Pour the cooking liquid through a muslin cloth into a measuring cup.
4. Put the strained clam cooking liquid back into a clean large sauté pan and then add the butter and cooked clams that have been removed from their shells. Bring the liquid to a boil and toss in the cooked pasta and the herbs. Cook the pasta together with the sauce for a few minutes until the sauce clings to the pasta. If the sauce seems a bit dry, add a few tablespoons of the reserved pasta cooking water. When done, turn off the heat and toss in the grated parmesan, then finish with a drizzle of olive oil. Toss to combine.
5. Divide the pasta into serving dishes and garnish with the clams that are still in their shells and a little more shaved parmesan.