Linguini with White Clam Sauce

Have you ever ordered steamed clams (or mussels) at a restaurant with that delicious wine/garlic/etc. broth? You know, the kind you can dip endless amount of bread in and savor every bite? Yes, yum? That’s what I was going for with this dish; of course with some linguini so it was an actual dinner and not an appetizer. I must say, this came out quite tasty!

They had fresh clams at Costco this weekend, so on a whim we grabbed a bag for dinner this week. I browsed google for some recipes and found a good one to serve as my base. I did however make quite a few changes as the original only called for twelve clams (yes, TWELVE). Well, I had four pounds, and although I didn’t actually count, there were significantly more than twelve little clams. There’s really no rhyme or reason to the amount of everything I used, but it worked well for the dish. A work of caution on the red pepper flakes – it was rather spicy so I’d recommend using only half a teaspoon. I also added some clam juice just to make sure there was plenty of broth for some good bread dipping.

This recipe is definitely a keeper. Everything came together rather quickly, at least once the clams were scrubbed (that takes me forever!). This is a great dish to serve for company, everyone will enjoy it!

Adapted from Healthy. Delicious.

Ingredients
1 box – 13.25 oz whole wheat linguini
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, minced
6-8 cloves garlic, sliced
1 tsp dried hot red pepper flakes
1 tsp dried oregano
1 cup white wine
1 cup clam juice
4 lbs littleneck clams, scrubbed well
2 Tbsp butter, cut into small pieces
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1. Prepare the linguini according to the directions on the package.

2. While that cooks, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Make sure your skillet is actually large enough to hold all your clams! Add the onion and sauté until it begins to soften. Add the garlic, red pepper, and oregano and cook for 1 minute, taking care not to burn the garlic.
3. Stir in the wine and clam juice. Cook for a few minutes to allow the flavors to come together. Add the clams, cover, and steam for about 7-10 minutes or until all the clams open. Remove from heat and stir in the butter and parsley; season to taste with salt and pepper.

4. Drain the pasta and return to the pot. Add the half a cup of clam sauce to the pasta and toss to coat.

5. Serve pasta, topped with clams and additional sauce, and some crusty bread for dipping if desired.

The Facts
6 Servings