Linguine with White Clam Sauce

Is there anyone who doesn’t love Italian food? In this episode, Martha introduces her modern American take on four favorites: eight-layer lasagna, chicken Parmesan, raviolo with egg yolk, and linguine with red or white clam sauce. Each is guaranteed to be a hit with friends and family.

Serves: 6

Ingredients

  • 1 pound linguine
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
  • 1 large shallot, finely chopped
  • Generous pinch of crushed red-pepper flakes, plus more for serving
  • 1/4 cup dry white wine
  • 8 ounces bottled clam juice
  • 3 1/4 pounds clams in the shell, preferably littlenecks or cherrystones, scrubbed
  • 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
  • Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for serving
  • Dried oregano, for serving

Method

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta until al dente. Drain.
  2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic, shallot and red-pepper flakes; sauté until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add wine; bring to a boil, scraping up browned bits. Add clam juice; return to a boil. Add clams, cover and cook just until they open, about 5 minutes (start checking after 4 minutes and discard any clams that have not opened after 6 minutes.)
  3. Add linguine, tossing with tongs to combine with clams. Season with salt if necessary (depending on saltiness of clams), remove from heat and add parsley. Serve immediately with red-pepper flakes, Parmigiano-Reggiano and oregano.

For Linguine with Red Clam Sauce:

Add 2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes along with the clam juice in step 2.