Absolutely one of my most favorite pasta dishes is Linguine with Little Neck Clams. Until recently, however, I’d never made it at home. First off, the availability of little neck clams in my area is pretty scarce. That presented a slight problem, y’all.
Second, I just wasn’t quite sure I was up to the task. I mean, when you’ve never cooked clams in your life, you’re a little bit intimidated. Well, maybe more than a little bit intimidated. I mean. I kept reading all of this stuff about getting them to “purge.” Making sure they were live…don’t eat them otherwise…cook them this way; cook them that way,
Y’all, I’m in a landlocked state. I may be a beach bum at heart, but freshwater mussels are the closest thing we have around these parts to fresh bivalves. And we let the herons eat those. Fortunately, farm-raised little neck clams are readily available in my local Krogers these days. I don’t really recommend using canned clams for this dish. Part of the flavor and certainly part of the overall appearance of the dish is the presence of the clams in their shells.
Anyway, somewhere along the line I discovered clams. Clam chowder. Fried clams. Clams casino. Oh my goodness. A love affair not to be abated.
And then this happened. Linguine (it’s pasta, y’all), with shallots. With butter. And garlic! and wine and parsley. Oh, and clams.
It’s good stuff, y’all. I do believe you’re going to love it as much as I.
And it’s easy. Honest. It’s really easy.
An important thing to remember about clams is that they come in a mesh bag for a reason, so they can breathe. If you place them in a plastic bag to get them home, remove them from the bag as soon as you get home. I always ask the butcher to place them on ice before he wraps them in shrink wrap. He will then puncture the shrink wrap so the clams can breathe. Some of the clams might open in the cold, but they will close if they are not dead when you move them around.
A clam that remains open is a dead clam. Discard it. If it’s open and it closes when you tap it, it is alive and safe to use.
I suggest you double the sauce and get some extra crusty bread to sop it up with. Just sayin’. Garnish the finished dish with chopped, fresh flat-leaf parsley. We don’t add cheese, but if it floats your boat, go ahead. A generous sprinkle of freshly grated percorino-romano never hurt anyone. Or any clam.
Enjoy friends. Thanks for stopping by.
Notes
* Use a firm brush and scrub off any sand, dirt, etc. Never select a clam that is already open, chipped, broken or damaged in any way. Make sure to immediately take them out of packaging and refrigerate when you get home.
Soak your clams for 20 minutes in fresh, cold water just before cooking. As the clams breathe they filter water. When the fresh water is filtered, the clam pushes salt water and sand out of their shells.
After 20 minutes, they will have cleaned themselves of the salt and sand they have collected. Strain the clams in a colander or strainer. Rinse well.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 2 shallots, peeled and minced
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
- 2 cups dry white wine (I like pinot grigio.)
- 3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 3-4 Tablespoons fresh minced flat-leaf parsley
- 2 dozen little neck clams, scrubbed and purged*
- 1 Tablespoon salt
- 1/2 pound dried linguine
Instructions
- In a pasta pot, heat 5-6 quarts water with 1 Tablespoon salt over medium-high heat while preparing clams.
- In a large braiser or heavy pot over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Add the shallots and garlic, stirring occasionally until translucent, about 6 minutes.
- Add the red pepper flakes, black pepper and 1 cup wine; increase the heat to medium; simmer until liquid begins to reduce.
- Add in additional wine 1/2 cup at a time, continuing to reduce until liquid is reduced by one third.
- Stir in the lemon juice and parsley. Add the clams, discarding any that do not close when touched.
- Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid; simmer until clams are just open, 3-5 minutes.
- Begin cooking linguine. Cook 8-9 minutes to al dente.
- Remove clams from heat with a slotted spoon to a warmed bowl or platter. Keep warm.
- When pasta is done, add to skillet with wine and butter sauce. Stir well to combine.
- Return clams to pot with pasta; toss to combine.
- Divide among serving bowls and garnish with additional minced parsley and crusty bread for sopping extra broth.
