Linguine alle Vongole
Littleneck clams, white wine, garlic and parsley.
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Two things: (1) soak the clams in salted water before cooking - 20 min is the difference between briny perfection and a gritty mouthful; (2) finish the pasta IN the clam pan, not in a bowl. The starch and clam brine emulsify into the sauce, and the pasta absorbs the flavor instead of fighting it.
Ingredients
Everything below makes 4 servings.
- 1 lblinguine
- 3 lblittleneck clamsscrubbed, soaked 20 min in salted water to purge sand
- 6garlic clovesthinly sliced
- ½ cupdry white wine
- ⅓ cupextra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ tspred pepper flake
- ½ cupfresh parsleyfinely chopped
- 1lemonzested, cut into wedges
- 1 tspkosher saltfor pasta water (clams bring the brine)
- ½ tspblack pepper
In the app these rescale to however many people you're feeding.
Nutrition
Per serving, as written.
- 680calories
- 32gprotein
- 80gcarbs
- 26gfat
Swaps move these numbers. A different protein or base changes them.
Instructions
Knife work first, then the stove. Nothing below asks you to chop while something burns.
- Scrub clams under cold water. Soak in a big bowl of cold salted water 20 min - they'll spit out grit. Discard any with cracked shells or that don't close when tapped.
- Bring a large pot of LIGHTLY salted water to a boil for the pasta - clams bring serious brine.
- Thinly slice 6 garlic cloves; chop the parsley; zest the lemon and cut into wedges.
Bloom garlic
Heat extra-virgin olive oil in the skillet over medium. Add sliced garlic and red pepper flake. Cook 60-90 sec until garlic is barely golden and fragrant - don't brown.
2 min · hands onSteam clams
Pour in wine; let it bubble 30 sec. Add the drained clams in a single layer. Cover with lid and steam over medium-high 5-7 min, shaking the pan once, until all clams have opened. Discard any that stay clamped shut after 8 min.
7 min · hands onBoil pasta
While clams steam, drop linguine into the boiling water and cook 2 min less than package - it'll finish in the pan with the clams. Reserve 1 cup pasta water before draining.
8 min · hands onMarry
Use tongs to lift drained linguine into the clam skillet (drag some water with it). Toss everything together over medium 2-3 min - the pasta finishes cooking in the briny clam juice and absorbs the flavor. Add pasta water by the splash if dry.
3 min · hands onFinish
Off heat, toss in the parsley, lemon zest, and a heavy crack of black pepper. Plate with the clams on top. Squeeze a lemon wedge over each portion.
1 min · hands onMake it yours
Every swap here is one Maui already knows how to make, including what it does to the timing.
Smaller - steam open 1 min faster (4-5 min instead of 6-7). Saves about 1 minutes.
Debeard mussels first; steam time is identical.
Sub 1 lb shrimp and bottled clam juice for the brine - sear shrimp 90 sec/side. Saves about 3 minutes.
Toast a baguette to mop the briny pan sauce - non-negotiable, really.
What keeps
Clams must be eaten the day they're cooked - texture turns leathery on reheat. Buy clams the same day you cook.
Scale down rather than save leftovers.
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