Linguine with Authentic Italian Red Clam Sauce
Linguine with Authentic Italian Red Clam Sauce is a classic pasta recipe with so much flavor from briny clams in savory tomatoes with white wine, lots of pungent garlic and a bit of anchovy and fresh parsley. You will definitely need to plan on seconds for this one!
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 2 dozen clams (top neck or littleneck are best), purged (cleaned–See below.)
- ¼ cup fine salt
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil + more for finishing
- 2 Tbsp chopped or thinly-sliced garlic (use more or less, as desired)
- 3-4 anchovy filets or 1 Tbsp anchovy paste
- Pinch crushed red pepper
- 1 cup dry white wine such as Pinot Grigio
- 1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes, crushed by hand (See Notes.)
- ⅓ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves divided
- Pinch salt and black pepper
- 1 pound linguine or other long pasta + salt for pasta water
Instructions
- Purge the clams of excess sand: Clean clams with a brush to remove any surface dirt or sand. Fill a large bowl with about 3 to 4 quarts cold water and whisk about ¼ cup salt into it. Then, carefully immerse the clams in the cold water for about 1-2 hours. Either put the bowl in the refrigerator during this resting time or add a few ice cubes to the water so that it is cold. Carefully drain and rinse the clams. If the water is very cloudy, repeat this process as many times as needed until the water is fairly clear. Once the clams have been purged, give them a quick rinse. If it is still going to be awhile before you cook them, return them to the refrigerator stored on a colander in ice.(Please see the section above in the blog post for Step-By-Step instructions with photos.)2 dozen clams, ¼ cup fine salt
- Meanwhile, prep and gather all ingredients according to specifications above. Put a large pot of water on to boil.
- Combine the olive oil, garlic, anchovies and red pepper flakes in a large skillet over medium low heat and cook until the garlic starts to soften and brown and the anchovies have dissolved, about 4 to 5 minutes. (NOTE: You can use anchovy oil here, if desired.)¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, 2 Tbsp chopped or thinly-sliced garlic, 3-4 anchovy filets, Pinch crushed red pepper
- Pour the wine in the pan and scrape up any brown bits. Then, add the tomatoes, half the chopped parsley, salt and black pepper and stir until well-combined. (Note that the clams will add additional saltiness to the dish.)1 cup dry white wine, 1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes,, ⅓ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves, Pinch salt and black pepper
- Bring the tomato mixture to a simmer and simmer, uncovered for about 10 minutes or so to reduce and thicken the sauce and allow the alcohol taste to cook off.
- Then, carefully add the cleaned clams to the simmering tomato sauce. Stir gently and distribute them evenly across the surface of the pan. Cover, lower the heat to medium low and let them steam, shaking the pan and gently stirring a few times as they cook.2 dozen clams
- The clams are cooked once they open! Transfer clams to a bowl one-by-one as they are cooked/opened, and replace the cover as the remaining cook. Discard any clams that did not open. It may take around 10 minutes or so for all the clams to cook.
- Once the water comes to a boil, add salt, then the pasta and cook it for 2 minutes less than the package instructions, or two minutes less than al dente.1 pound linguine or other long pasta
- While the pasta is cooking, remove the clams from the shells and combine them with the sauce. (See NOTE below regarding serving the clams in their shells, which is an option.) Hold the sauce on warm while the pasta cooks.
- When the pasta is ready, transfer it to the clam/tomato sauce mixture along with about ½ cup of the starchy pasta water (to start) and increase the heat to medium. Stir well to fully combine all ingredients and let the pasta finish cooking in the sauce and absorb all of those wonderful flavors! Add additional pasta water if more moisture is needed.
- Once the linguine is al dente, turn off the heat, fold in the remaining parsley and drizzle a healthy glug of high-quality olive oil over the pasta, stir and serve. Buon Appetito!
Notes
- Even if the fishmonger claims that his clams are already purged, I still purge them myself.
- Either littleneck or top neck clams work well in this recipe. Larger clams, such as cherrystone or chowder clams, tend to be chewy and tough and are best chopped before using. But, you can use them in this recipe if you remove them from the shell and chop them before tossing them with the pasta.
- If you prefer to omit wine in this dish, you can substitute it with vegetable, chicken or seafood broth or clam juice.
- It’s best to use clams or any live shellfish on the same day that you purchase them. However, if you are not cooking them immediately once purchased, the best way to store them (for one day only) is on a bed of ice (with some ice on top as well) in a colander inside a stainless steel bowl, uncovered. (See photo above for reference.) When ready to use, take them out of the refrigerator and clean/purge them. You can return them to the refrigerator after cleaning without any ice while the tomato sauce is cooking.
- I generally prefer to use whole canned tomatoes and then hand crush them as they are less processed than other types, plus I prefer a chunky sauce. However, you can also use diced tomatoes or even crushed (if you prefer a smoother sauce) in this recipe.
- Also, choose a high-quality canned tomato, such as a San Marzano tomato, for this recipe. As there are so few ingredients, their quality really matters.
- Removing the clams from the shells is a personal decision. After years of serving this dish with the clams still in their shells, I now remove all (but a few for aesthetics) clams from the shells and combine them directly with the sauce. It makes the dish so much easier to eat!
- Use a large pot with 5 to 6 quarts water for 1 pound of pasta. Bring the water to a boil before adding the salt. Use 1 1/2 - 2 Tbsp salt.
- The pasta water is key! Add it to the sauce along with the pasta for the additional moisture needed to finish cooking the pasta.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat them, covered, in a small skillet over medium low heat with a little bit of water until heated through.
