Linguine alle Vongole | Linguine with Clams

Side shot of a serving of linguini with clams with a blue linen napkin on the side.

5 from 5 votes

Linguine alle Vongole | Linguine with Clams

There’s so much to love about this classic Linguine alle Vongole! Silky spaghetti is bathed in a garlicky pan sauce studded with tender, briny clams and spiked with red pepper flakes. Cooking clams is easier than you think. Just follow the steps and you’ll be twirling your spaghetti with fresh clams in under an hour.

Prep Time30

Cook Time20

Total Time50

Course: Entree

Cuisine: Italian

Diet: Low Lactose

Servings:

Author: Domenica Marchetti

Ingredients

2 pounds about 4 dozen littleneck, Manila, or other small clams
Kosher or fine sea salt
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 large garlic clove, minced
Generous pinch (about 1/2 teaspoon) red pepper flakes
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 pound linguine or spaghetti
2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Instructions

Purge the clams: Place the clams in a colander and, using a stiff brush, scrub the shells under cold running water. Put the clams in a large bowl of cold water and add 3 tablespoons of salt. Let them soak for 15-30 minutes, stirring them once or twice. Drain in a colander and rinse well with cold water.
Get the pasta water going: Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat.
Steam the clams: Place the clams in a large skillet or wide, heavy-bottomed sauté pan with 2 tablespoons of water. Cover, and set over medium-high heat. Cook, shaking the pan now and then, until the clams have opened, about 5-8 minutes depending on the size of your clams. Discard any clams that are taking a long time to open, and allow the remaining clams to cool.
Separate the clams: Once the clams are cool enough to handle, set a handful of whole clams–about 3-4 per serving–aside for garnish. Use a small knife or spoon to remove the remaining clams from their shells and put the meat in a bowl. Cover both bowls to keep warm.
Filter the clam juice: Line a fine mesh sieve with a damp paper towel and set over a mixing bowl. Pour the liquid remaining in the skillet or pan through the filter. Set aside.
Make the sauce: In a skillet large enough to hold the cooked pasta, add the olive oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Turn the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes to soften the garlic.
Add the wine: Pour in the wine and raise the heat to medium-high to let the wine simmer for one minute. Stir in the reserved clam juice and shucked clams and cook just until the clams are heated through and everything is well combined, 2-3 minutes. Turn off the heat and cover to keep warm while you cook the pasta.
Cook the spaghetti: When the pasta water is boiling, add about 1 tablespoon salt—just enough to flavor the water but less than usual, since the clam juice is already salty. Boil the pasta until very al dente— 1-2 minutes less than recommended on the package.
Combine the sauce and pasta: Using tongs, transfer the pasta to the pan with the clam sauce and gently toss to combine. Continue to toss the pasta over low heat, adding a splash or two of cooking water if necessary to loosen the sauce; the noodles will continue to absorb liquid as they finish cooking and will be coated with a silky sauce.
Garnish and serve: Turn off the heat and stir in the parsley. Transfer the pasta to a large, warmed serving bowl or individual shallow bowls and top each with the reserved clams in the shell. Serve right away.

Notes

To avoid overcooking the clams, start checking 2 minutes after you’ve started steaming them. Use tongs to transfer any clams that have opened to a bowl.
You should have at least 1 cup of strained clam liquid. If not, don’t worry; you can add a splash of pasta cooking water to the sauce later.
If you’d rather drain the pasta using a strainer rather than using tongs, just don’t forget to set aside 1 cup of the pasta’s cooking water before draining.
Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including olive oils, honey, jams and spices.

Nutrition

QR code

Scan this QR code with your phone's camera to view this recipe on your mobile device.