Linguine and Clams With Fresh Red Sauce

By Kay Chun

Updated July 16, 2021

Linguine and Clams With Fresh Red Sauce
Linda Xiao for The New York Times
Total Time
25 minutes
Rating
4(1,046)
Comments
Read comments

This weeknight clam pasta comes together easily under 30 minutes without compromising flavor. Canned whole clams, packed in valuable clam juices, are the pantry hero. Opt for whole canned clams, since they’re more tender and delicate than the chopped or minced varieties. The key to achieving the most seafood flavor is finishing the pasta right in the clam sauce, so that the pasta absorbs all of the briny flavors as it cooks. The sauce gets a nice fresh boost from the addition of sweet cherry tomatoes, while Parmesan and butter stirred in at the end create a rich, silky sauce.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • Kosher salt and black pepper
  • 1pound linguine
  • 2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1pound cherry tomatoes
  • 3garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 2(6-ounce) cans whole clams, juices reserved
  • 2tablespoons unsalted butter
  • ½cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for garnish
  • ½cup chopped fresh curly or flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnish
  • Red-pepper flakes, for garnish (optional)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

754 calories; 21 grams fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 97 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 6 grams sugars; 44 grams protein; 826 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook the pasta according to package directions until 3 minutes shy of al dente. (It will finish cooking in the sauce; pasta should be toothsome but not crunchy.) Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain pasta.

  2. Step 2

    Meanwhile, once pasta is cooking, in a large skillet, heat oil over medium. Add tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until they soften and start to pop, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute.

  3. Step 3

    Add reserved clam juice (you should have about 1 cup) and stir to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the skillet. Add sauce, pasta, ½ cup of the pasta water and the butter back to the large pot, and cook, stirring vigorously, until sauce is thickened and pasta is al dente, about 3 minutes. Stir in ¼ cup more pasta water if a thinner sauce is desired.

  4. Step 4

    Turn off the heat and stir in the clams, cheese and parsley. Season with salt and pepper.

  5. Step 5

    Divide pasta among bowls and garnish with cheese, parsley, black pepper and red-pepper flakes, if using.

Ratings

4 out of 5
1,046 user ratings
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Comments

Daniel Barwick

I’ve made clam pasta too many times to count (family favorite), and love it. Allow me to add one tip to this excellent recipe: Don't use the juice from the can. Use a separate bottle of clam juice instead. The juice in the canned clams contains typically three additives that create a slightly chalky, soapy taste. But a bottle of clam juice (right next to the canned clams on the shelf) has nothing but juice from the clams, which produces a much clearer, cleaner clam taste.

Joe

Add an anchovy with garlic. but do not tell anybody

Ed

I was raised by Italians (from Naples) and we put cheese (Locatelli Romano) on our linguini with clam sauce. Eat whatever makes you happy.

Barry Robinson

I hate to be a Grinch but this is the worst recipe for clam sauce I’ve ever tried to cook. It is the sort of recipe a person would create if they absolutely did not know how to cook. 1. You never boil garlic. The first step in this recipe should be to sauté the garlic over low heat for 3-4 min. At that point a 1/4 cup of fish stock should be added. 2. The tomatoes should be briefly boiled and then dipped in ice water to remove their skins then cut in half to sauté. 3. All the reserved clam sauce plus salt, pepper, a teaspoon of oregano and finely chopped parsley is added next. This mixture is reduced by 1/4. 4. The pasta is cooked to al dente in its pot and never cooked in the pan. Use only 1/2 pound. This is supposed to be for four servings. 5. Add the clam sauce. Add a half cup of reserved pasta water to the sauce. Combine the linguine and (slightly) red clam sauce together in a warmed serving bowl. Done. Stupid recipe. I’m done using NYT recipes. They are never vetted and much of the time they are posted by people who simply are not cooks.

Cynthia

Great as is. Added some tatsoi that I had wilted with pasta water at same time as clams.

Syma

I loved this recipe even more than a traditional linguini with clam sauce. I used a combo of canned and freshly dug local clams cooked in wine and garlic and used that liquid instead of canned clam juice. Wonderful!!

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