Pasta with White Clam Sauce
Linguine with white clam sauce is the kind of thing I cannot resist on an Italian restaurant’s menu. I can almost smell the garlic just reading the words, and imagine the chewy, briny nuggets of clam tangled up in strands of linguine with that savory broth puddling on the bottom of the bowl. It’s the kind of thing you might find in Little Italy in NYC, in the North End in Boston, and also at a great seafood spot on the water in Cape Cod.
And the good news is that if you stock up on canned clams for your pantry, this dish can come together in literally 20 minutes. Only 20 minutes to pasta with white clam sauce?! It feels almost impossible, but it’s true.
I am a fan of Snow’s® chopped clams, which fully deliver on taste and texture, and having a little stack of their cans in the pantry, plus a couple of bottles of Snow’s® clam juice means that this can be on the table for dinner with a handful of other pantry staples any night of the week. And if you are a little tired of holding a box of pasta in one hand and a jar of tomato sauce in the other, this is the perfect way to shake up the dinner routine.
Do you know Snow’s®? You should if you don’t. They make amazing chowders, and their New England Clam Chowder now has double the clams, fresh ingredients, new recipes plus the cutest new modern retro packaging that leans into their New England heritage. Real cream, fresh clams from the North Atlantic’s deep, cold waters and NO artificial colors, flavors or MSG.
White Clam Sauce
But they also make clams, minced and chopped. I went for chopped in this pasta, because I love the big chunks. I like to go a little overboard with the clams. No disappointing hunting around for clams in this pasta; every bite has chunks of seafood twirled up in the noodles.
I also mixed the Snow’s® Clam Juice with chicken broth and white wine for the sauce. The result is a sauce that is pulls the linguine and clams together perfectly. Plus, yes olive oil and garlic. Also, a splash of lemon juice for brightness and a bit of acidity. This balances out the rich savoriness of the clams.
On top, a combo of red pepper flakes, chopped fresh parsley, and a sprinkle of lemon zest. This dish made me want to buy a red and white. checked tablecloth so that I could feel like the whole trattoria experience was mine.
A sprinkle of bacon on top would not be unwelcome either.
This easy 20-minute Linguine with White Clam Sauce is the perfect way to shake up the dinner routine, with a rich sauce that tastes of the sea.
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Other Seafood Pasta Recipes:
- Fresh Linguine with Shrimp and Peas in a Pink Cream Sauce
- 30-Minute Shrimp Scampi
- Pasta Salad with Salmon and Creamy Cilantro Dressing
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This post is in partnership with Snow’s®. All opinions are my own.
Linguine with White Clam Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried fettuccine or linguine
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 teaspoons minced garlic
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes , plus more for serving
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth or stock (the richer the better)
- ½ cup Snow’s® Clam Juice
- 6 (6.5 ounce) cans Snow’s® Chopped Clams , drained
- Juice and zest of 1 large lemon
- chopped parsley to serve
Directions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt, and cook the pasta according to package dictions. You’ll want to cook it until just al dente, and then it will finish cooking in the sauce, so plan to take it out a couple of minutes before it is done to your liking.
- Meanwhile, in a large deep skillet, heat the olive oil over low heat. Add the garlic and cooking, sitting frequently, for 8 minutes, until the garlic is soft and a very light golden color; do not allow the garlic to brown. Stir in ¼ teaspoon of the red pepper flakes, and season with salt and pepper.
- Raise the heat under the garlic oil to medium high. Add the white wine and simmer for 3 minutes until slightly reduced. Add the chicken broth or stock and the clam juice to the pan, and bring to a simmer. Allow to simmer and reduce a bit, for about 5 minutes.
- When the pasta is just al dente, drain it and return it to the pot. Pour in the broth-clam juice mixture, add the chopped clams and lemon juice and toss until the pasta has become tender and absorbed a bit of the liquid, the clams are heated through and everything is well combined, about 2 minutes; tongs are great for this. Turn into a serving bowl, and top with additional red pepper flakes, the chopped parsley and the lemon zest. Serve hot.
Nutrition Information
The nutrition values are provided as an estimate. It is not intended as a substitute for the advice of a qualified healthcare professional.
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Can I substitute the wine with beer instead? I not a fan of using wine in
my food. Not sure how it will taste with beer either.
I’ve never thought to do that! Let me know how it goes, or you could just skip it and add a bit more broth.
The parsley was omitted from the ingredients list.
thank you! added now!
such a classic!!! delicious!
My Father loves this dish! It is one of his favorites!
it was one of my dad’s favorites, too!