5 Star Linguine Alle Vongole (Linguine With Clam Sauce)
Easy to prepare, budget friendly, and absolutely delicious! This dish originates from the southern Italian coast. Enjoy this taste of Campania tonight for dinner!
Ingredients
- 12 oz linguine I used Skinner's; you can also use 16 oz linguine
- 2 6.5 oz cans chopped clams in their juices I used Snow's; if using 16 oz linguine use 3 cans of clams
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 3 Thai chilis minced; leave these out for a milder dish
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- handful parsley chopped
- 1/4 ts salt plus additional salt to taste
- 1/4 ts pepper plus additional pepper to taste
- parmesan cheese
- 1 cup reserved pasta water collected just prior to pasta finishing cooking; you may or may not need to use this, depending on how much liquid you will have from the amount of cans of clams you are using
Instructions
- Heat up water for pasta and cook according to pasta directions
- While the water is heating up for your pasta, set your skillet to medium and add butter and olive oil. Once the butter is melted, add garlic and chilis, stir, and continue heating for about 3 minutes
- Add clams with all their juices, 1/4 ts salt, and 1/4 ts pepper. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a low simmer until your pasta is ready
- Just before draining your pasta at the end of the pasta cooking time, reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water. Then drain your pasta, and add to the clam sauce. Stir well, and add additional salt and pepper to taste. Add a bit of reserved pasta water if the pasta is too dry for your liking (you may not need this step). This will loosen up the pasta and make it silky smooth. Add little by little until you are happy. :-) If the pasta is too saucy, cover the skillet, remove from the heat and let it sit for about 5 minutes to allow to thicken a bit.
- Serve up mounds of the linguine with clam sauce on your serving dishes, and garnish with parsley and plenty of parmesan cheese!
Notes
Top this linguine with clam sauce with a generous amount of parmesan, if desired. Try a wine from the Campania region of Italy with this dish, such as Taurasi (red), or Fiano di Avellino (white) with this dish and enjoy a taste of Southern Italy!
