Description
A quick and elegant dish featuring linguine and fresh clams, perfect for weeknight dinners or special occasions.
Ingredients
Scale
- Kosher salt (for seasoning pasta water and the sauce)
- 1 pound linguine
- 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ cup finely chopped shallots
- 6 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
- 1 cup dry white wine (e.g., Pinot Grigio)
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 2 pounds Littleneck clams, scrubbed
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest (plus extra for garnish)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil with 2 tablespoons of kosher salt. Add the linguine and cook until just shy of al dente, about 10–12 minutes. Reserve ½ cup of pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.
- Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and garlic, sautéing until golden and fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add the white wine, red pepper flakes, salt, clams, and ¼ cup parsley. Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook for 6–8 minutes, or until the clams open. Discard any unopened clams.
- Mix the pasta with the clams (you may need to transfer the clams to a plate if the pan is too small). Pour in the reserved pasta water, tossing everything together. Cook for another 1–2 minutes until the pasta absorbs some of the sauce.
- Remove from heat, then stir in butter, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Toss to coat the pasta with the sauce, and add the remaining parsley.
- Serve immediately, garnishing with extra lemon zest and grated Parmesan if desired.
Notes
Scrub clams well to remove any sand or grit. Adjust red pepper flakes for spice preference. Use high-quality olive oil for the best flavor.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 56g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 20g
- Cholesterol: 30mg