Spicy White Clam Sauce With Linguine
Linguine with White Clam Sauce is a classy and sophisticated Italian-American pasta dish, flavored by a white wine and clam sauce, soft linguine, baby clams, and topped with fresh parsley and Parmesan cheese.
Ingredients
- 12 ounces dried linguine
- 3 Tablespoons pressed or minced garlic
- 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup dry white wine or chicken broth
- 8 oz clam juice (1 bottle — measure out 1/4 cup and set aside)
- 2 Tablespoon cornstarch
- 20 oz. baby clams (10 oz. each baby clams, drained (reserve the liquid))
- 1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon hot clili flakes
- kosher salt — see notes
- freshly ground black pepper
- Freshly shredded Parmesan Cheese
Directions
- 1
In a 5 to 6 quart pan over high heat, bring about 4 quarts water to a boil. Add about 1 Tablespoons Kosher salt to the water. Add linguine and cook, stirring occasionally, until molto al dente (barley tender to bite, about 10 minutes. Ladle out 1/2 cup pasta water in case you need to thin the sauce.
- 2
Whisk the 2 Tablespoon cornstarch into the 1/4 cup clam juice and set aside.
- 3
Meanwhile in a 10 to 12-inch large skillet over medium-high heat, sauté onion in the olive oil and butter until tender. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant but do not brown. About 1 to 2 minutes.
- 4
Add the white wine or broth, 3/4 cup clam juice, and reserved liquid from clams and bring to a boil.
- 5
Boil for about 2 minutes and then stir in the cornstarch clam juice slurry until the sauce thickens.
- 6
Add clams and stir occasionally until hot, 1 to 2 minutes.
- 7
Drain the linguine. Add to the clam sauce along with the parsley.
- 8
Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper. Mix.
- 9
Serve with an additional sprinkle of parsley and Parmesan cheese.
- 10
If you’d like a thinner sauce - add a Tablespoon or two of pasta water.