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Linguine con le Vongole – Linguine with Clams recipe from BaconFatte.com

Linguine con le Vongole – Linguine with Clams

This Linguine con le Vongole – or simply, Linguine with Clams – is a Classic seafood dish with a few twists. It’s easy enough for a weeknight, and beautiful enough for a special occasion. Serve with lots of crusty bread to soak up all the wonderful sauces!
Course Seafood
Cuisine Southern Italian
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 4 -6
Author Michele Phillips, BaconFatte.com

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons fine sea salt
  • 1 pound linguine pasta
  • 10 - 12 tablespoons olive oil divided
  • 4 – 5 large cloves garlic finely chopped (about 2½ tablespoons)
  • 2 cups fresh Roma tomatoes chopped (reserve ½ cup for garnish)
  • ½ cup fresh Italian “flat-leaf” parsley, rough chopped + ¼ cup for garnish
  • 3 pounds clams and/or mussels
  • ½ - 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes to taste, plus more for garnish
  • 1 cup dry white wine – citrus and mineral notes work well
  • ½ - 1 cup clam juice more if needed

Instructions

  1. In a large pot, add the 2 tablespoons of salt and plenty of water for the pasta. *Cook 1 – 2 minutes short of al dente, and plan to drain the pasta while the clams/mussels are cooking. Pasta will finish cooking in the sauce when combined with clams and/or mussels.
  2. Prepare all other ingredients while pasta water is heating up:
  3. Chop garlic, then place in a small bowl and set aside.
  4. Chop the tomatoes and place them in a small bowl as well – making sure to reserve about ½ cup for garnish – and set aside.
  5. Chop the fresh parsley, setting aside ½ cup for sauce and (up to) ¼ cup for garnish.
  6. Scrub clams and de-beard mussels as needed.
  7. Measure out white wine, clam juice, and red pepper flakes.
  8. Place a large skillet over medium heat. Add 6 tablespoons of oil and chopped garlic and stir, allowing it to cook lightly for about a minute.
  9. Add clams and/or mussels, stirring for another minute. Then add the wine, clam juice, red pepper flakes, and 1½ cups of chopped tomatoes (reserving ½ cup of tomatoes for garnish), and ½ cup of parsley. Simmer (uncovered) for 5 – 7 minutes and stir until clams and mussels are opened.
  10. While clams and/or mussels are cooking, drain pasta and reserve ½ cup of pasta water. Add 4 - 6 tablespoons of olive oil (to taste) to the pasta, and toss well.
  11. For informal serving: Add the linguine to the clams and/or mussels, and toss well. Pour everything into a big serving bowl (optional) or serve right from the skillet. Add reserved pasta water if needed. Garnish and serve right away.
  12. For formal serving: Place linguine onto a serving platter with high edges, carefully spoon clams and/or mussels and all the sauces over the top of the linguine and arrange shells nicely among the noodles. Add reserved pasta water if needed. Garnish and serve right away.
  13. To serve: Garnish with the last ½ cup of chopped tomatoes, ¼ cup of chopped parsley, and more red pepper flakes to taste. Garnishing with the fresh tomatoes and parsley adds another layer of bright color and flavor that finishes the dish beautifully. Serve with plenty of crusty baguette to soak up every last bit of sauce

Recipe Notes

*Look for Manilla, Cherrystone, Little Neck, or other similar clams for this dish. The black-shelled PEI Mussels work beautifully as well.
*No fresh Romas? Use a can (about 15 ounces) of good quality diced tomatoes and the juice.

Adapted from Mario Batali’s recipe via Epicurious