Linguine with Clams

A simple, satisfying favorite.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Elegant 25-minute dinner.
• Briny, garlicky, perfect with crusty bread.
• Looks impressive for very little effort.
• Restaurant-quality at home.
• Pure Italian comfort food.

Ingredient Notes

• Littlenecks or Manilas are sweet and tender; chowder clams are too tough.
• Dry white wine — Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc. Never cooking wine.
• Real butter for the finishing emulsion.

Ingredient Substitutions

• Spaghetti or fettuccine for linguine.
• Chicken broth + 1 teaspoon vinegar in place of wine.
• Canned chopped clams (10 oz drained) + bottled clam juice — not as good but works.

Equipment Needed

• Large pot for pasta
• Large skillet with a tight lid
• Tongs

Prep Tips

• Tap any open clams; if they don't close, discard them — they're dead.
• Have pasta ready to drop into the clam pan when shells open.

Instructions

1. 1

   Gather and prep: 12 oz pasta, 1 clams, 3 cloves garlic, minced, 1 cup white wine, 1 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp butter, 1 tsp red pepper flakes. mince the garlic before you start cooking.

2. 2

   Cook pasta al dente. Taste and adjust salt; serve immediately while the sauce is glossy and hot.

3. 3

   Sauté garlic in oil with pepper flakes.

4. 4

   Add wine and clams, cover until open.

5. 5

   Toss with pasta and butter.

Artsi Pro Tips

• Purge clams in salted water; sandy clams ruin the dish.
• Cover tightly while clams steam so the wine concentrates instead of evaporating.
• Pull pasta 2 minutes early; it finishes in the clam broth.

Common Mistakes

• Skipping the sand purge.
• Eating clams that didn't open (toss them).
• Browning the garlic, which turns bitter.

Recipe Tags