I'm quickly realizing that Italian food is so simple because it is all about highlighting the star ingredient. This recipe for linguine and clams or "Linguine alle Vongole" is no exception to that rule.
I vowed this summer to finally bite the bullet and start cooking with clams at least once to satisfy my season long craving I have been experiencing. Well here we are, end of August, and I still haven't made them. Perhaps it is an innate fear? After all, my grandmother developed a shellfish allergy later in her life. My mother has been allergic to clams since she was my age and her shellfish allergy is only getting worse and worse. She recently got sick off of cod and last time I checked, that fish doesn't even have a shell on it! So I honestly feel like I need to get my butt into gear and start consuming as much shellfish as I can. It's summer in New England and I haven't even consumed a proper lobster roll! Who am I?
Making clams at home seems like a serious feat but I promise you it isn't. Making spaghetti and clams takes maybe a quarter of the time it takes to make spaghetti and meatballs. Plus, cooking clams is easy because they alert you themselves when they are done making it virtually impossible to over or under cook them. Their little shells pop open to reveal the clam itself, almost like he's saying "Hey there, it's getting hot in here. I'm done." I wish steak could do the same. Would make grilling a heck of a lot easier.
I closely followed Bon Appetit's recipe for linguine and clams when making this dish, which is pretty straight forward. The only addition is adding in some freshly made breadcrumbs and I'm generally always down to top off my pasta carbs with some more carbs. Oh yeah, my recipe also calls for 12 cloves of garlic. Don't fear it, embrace it. I promise it's worth it. But maybe you want to save this meal for a 3rd of 4th date. The garlic breath can be extreme.
Ingredients:
2 tsp kosher salt
12 garlic cloves divided
2 cups sourdough bread cut into 1/4 inch cubes (can also just use regular bread crumbs)
zest of one lemon
2 tbsp + 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
2 oil packed anchovy fillets (optional)
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (plus more for serving)
1/4 cup of dry white wine
2 pounds little neck or cherrystone clams (about 24)
12 oz spaghetti or linguine
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup minced parsley
Bring 2 tbsp salt and about 10 cups of water to a boil in a large pot.
In a food processor pulse together 3 cloves of garlic and bread until fine crumbs form. Stir in lemon zest. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat in a large dutch oven over medium high heat. Toast breadcrumbs until golden and crisp. About 7 - 10 minutes. Remove breadcrumbs and place into a bowl to set aside. Wipe down dutch oven with a paper towel. Thinly slice garlic with a mandolin or by hand. Heat 1/4 cup of olive oil in the dutch oven over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until golden around the edges (2-3 minutes). Add in red pepper flakes and anchovies if using. Stir and cook for another two minutes. Add white wine to the pan and simmer for three minutes. Add in clams and cover the pot until clams are opened (about 5-8 minutes). Discard any clams that do not open. Remove clams and set aside. Add pasta to the boiling water and cook for five minutes. Using a ladle or measuring glass take 2 cups of pasta water and add to the sauce. Then slowly add pasta to the sauce pan. Keep cooking pasta until al dente. Remove the dutch oven from heat and add in 2 tbsp of butter to pasta, minced parsley, and roughly 1/2 of the toasted breadcrumbs. Stir to combine and then add in the clams. Serve pasta in individual bowls and top with breadcrumbs and additional red pepper flakes.
2 tsp kosher salt
12 garlic cloves divided
2 cups sourdough bread cut into 1/4 inch cubes (can also just use regular bread crumbs)
zest of one lemon
2 tbsp + 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
2 oil packed anchovy fillets (optional)
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (plus more for serving)
1/4 cup of dry white wine
2 pounds little neck or cherrystone clams (about 24)
12 oz spaghetti or linguine
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup minced parsley
Bring 2 tbsp salt and about 10 cups of water to a boil in a large pot.
In a food processor pulse together 3 cloves of garlic and bread until fine crumbs form. Stir in lemon zest. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat in a large dutch oven over medium high heat. Toast breadcrumbs until golden and crisp. About 7 - 10 minutes. Remove breadcrumbs and place into a bowl to set aside. Wipe down dutch oven with a paper towel. Thinly slice garlic with a mandolin or by hand. Heat 1/4 cup of olive oil in the dutch oven over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until golden around the edges (2-3 minutes). Add in red pepper flakes and anchovies if using. Stir and cook for another two minutes. Add white wine to the pan and simmer for three minutes. Add in clams and cover the pot until clams are opened (about 5-8 minutes). Discard any clams that do not open. Remove clams and set aside. Add pasta to the boiling water and cook for five minutes. Using a ladle or measuring glass take 2 cups of pasta water and add to the sauce. Then slowly add pasta to the sauce pan. Keep cooking pasta until al dente. Remove the dutch oven from heat and add in 2 tbsp of butter to pasta, minced parsley, and roughly 1/2 of the toasted breadcrumbs. Stir to combine and then add in the clams. Serve pasta in individual bowls and top with breadcrumbs and additional red pepper flakes.
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