Linguine pasta ala Vongole (linguine with Clam Sauce)
Easy and elegant, clam sauce over pasta is one of the simplest and most affordable meals to put together. Despite being a beloved Neapolitan classic, the popularity of seafood pasta in southern France is a direct result of the French Riviera being part of Italy until 1860 combined with its location on the Mediterranean Sea. Like many other similar dishes, pasta with clams is traditionally made in a red or white version (rouge ou blanc); in other words, with tomatoes or without. This recipe is without tomatoes and served with crusty bread.
- Serves
- 4
Directions
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Wash the clams in cold water several times to purge sand and grit then throw out any with broken shells. Some of the smaller clams need a lot of rinsing if they have sand in them. Account for 7 to 8 ounces of fresh clams per person.
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Bring a pot of water to boil over medium heat for the pasta. Add 1 tablespoon of salt but be careful not to oversalt since the clams will bring a brininess to the dish. Fresh pasta will cook in about 4 minutes and boxed dried pasta take 8 or 9 minutes, so time the cooking accordingly. When the pasta is cooked, remove to a bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
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In a separate, deep-sided skillet or Dutch oven, add the jar of clam juice and reserved liquid from the canned clams. Begin placing the clams into the liquid, not crowding them, so they have room to open. Cook covered over medium- high heat until they have opened- about 5 to 7 minutes, depending on how large they are
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Allow the clams to cool a little and then remove the meat from most of the clam shells keeping some intact. Discard the empty shells and any that might not have opened. If necessary, filter the liquid that the clams have produced through a wire mesh strainer. Don’t discard it. Set it aside in a bowl or measuring cup.
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Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the same skillet. Add the garlic red pepper flakes. Cook 30 seconds to bloom the aromatics. Add the canned clams and those removed from their shells to the pan and toss through the oil, just enough to coat. Deglaze with the white wine and stir in the reserved clam liquid. Simmer until the volume decreases by half.
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Finally, add half the chopped parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add in the clams in the shells to warm up. Continue cooking for another 5 minutes then remove from the heat.
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Use tongs to gently toss in the cooked pasta to the pan with the clam sauce. Serve immediately, garnished with additional chopped parsley and. Topped with a few clams in shell.
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Optional: Purging the clams
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With most varieties of clams we purchase, it’s usually not necessary to do more than rinse the clams under running water a few times and strain that liquid. So, I rarely purge them. However, some people prefer to purge the clams of sand before cooking them, especially if they are fresh from the beach or a fish market. This involves filling a large bowl with cold water and stirring in enough salt to make it salty like the sea. Add the clams and let them stand for 30 minutes. The clams should open and release any sand they have inside. You then need to lift the clams from the water and discard the water. If there is sand in the bottom of the bowl, rinse it out and repeat this process until the clams no longer release sand into the water (usually 2 to 3 purging cycles). Discard any clams that are gaping open and refuse to close when tapped. The connecting ligament is still alive at this point and should respond by closing when gently tapping any open clam with your finger or on the counter.
From Shawnie's class “Evening in The French Riviera”
