My linguine with clam sauce may look and sound fancy, but it’s easy to make. The pasta is tossed in a white wine and garlic sauce with meaty clams throughout. It doesn’t leave you feeling weighed down and is perfect for a summer dinner or a romantic date night.
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Why you need to make my linguine with clams
During the warmer months, I enjoy incorporating fresh seafood into my family’s dinners. I typically make a seafood pasta, but if my partner has grabbed some fresh clams from the market, it’s all about this linguine with clam sauce.
Clams can be intimidating if you’ve never cooked them before, so this pasta is a great place to start. I simmer the sauce with the live clams in their shells (I learned in culinary school that the clams will release juices into the sauce), then discard most of them before tossing them through the pasta (keeping a few for aesthetic reasons).
It’s easy for a weeknight summer dinner and elegant enough for a romantic date night, too. Seriously, this is what you’d expect at a top-notch Italian restaurant.
★★★★★ REVIEW
“Made this for my girlfriend, and it was so good. I’m not great in the kitchen, but it was so easy.” – Lukas
Key Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients. These are just a few notes about the main ones:
- Clams. I’ve tested this pasta dish with little neck clams (most common), Manila clams, and Vongole (Italian clams), and they all work very well. Please don’t be afraid if your fishmonger or grocery store labels them as ‘live clams’- this is precisely what you want.
- Linguine. Dried linguine is best, as it holds onto the sauce beautifully; however, you can swap it for fettuccine in a pinch.
- White wine. One of the more essential ingredients in the clam sauce. Stick with a dry white wine (like Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio). If you prefer not to cook with wine, I like to use equal portions of fish broth (sometimes labelled as seafood broth) or chicken broth.
How to make linguine with clam sauce
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Step 1- Soak the clams in water for several minutes, then rinse them and clean each one with a brush.
Step 2- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, add the pasta and cook to al dente.
Step 3- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the garlic and shallots and sauté for several minutes.
Step 4– Add white wine and spices and cook until the alcohol has mostly evaporated.
Step 5- Add the clams. Cook for 6-7 minutes or until the shells open. Remove the clams and toss their shells, reserving a few for decoration.
Step 6- Add butter to the skillet, followed by the pasta. Stir to combine and serve.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Cook the pasta until al dente. Because of the sauce’s simplicity, you want the pasta to have some bite (another rule of thumb I learned during my culinary studies). Cook until al dente and save a little pasta water.
- Canned clams option. I don’t recommend using canned clams, as they are extremely salty (not briny) and small in size. If this is all you can find, opt for whole baby clams in their natural juices.
- Top tip for unopened clams. When making the clam sauce, you should notice the clam shells opening up naturally within a minute or two. If by the third minute they are still closed, cover the pan and let the steam build up, which will pop the shells open.
- Salt afterwards. Clams are naturally very salty, so season with salt and pepper BEFORE tossing them through the pasta.
Storage instructions
To store: Place leftover linguine in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
To freeze: Allow the pasta to cool completely before transferring it to a freezer bag and freeze it for up to three months.
Reheating: Reheat leftovers in a skillet over medium-low heat or microwave in 30-second intervals until warm.
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Clean the clams well, by soaking them in water for several minutes. Rinse them with water and wash each with a brush and set them aside, discarding the broken ones.
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Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook a minute less than the instruction on the package. Drain the pasta and reserve one cup of pasta water.
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Heat the oil in a medium skillet and sauté shallots and garlic until translucent. Add the wine and cook shortly until the alcohol evaporates.
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Add the chili, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper, followed by clams. Cook for 6-7 minutes, discarding the clams that haven’t opened up. Remove clams from the skillet and remove the meat from most of them, reserving a few shells for decoration.
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Add the butter to the skillet followed by the clam meat and pasta. Mix everything together then serve immediately.
TO FREEZE: Allow the pasta to cool completely before transferring it to a freezer bag and freeze it for up to three months.
TO REHEAT: Reheat leftovers in a skillet over medium-low heat or microwave in 30-second intervals until warm.
Serving: 1servingCalories: 422kcalCarbohydrates: 58gProtein: 14gFat: 14gSodium: 361mgPotassium: 250mgFiber: 3gVitamin A: 278IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 49mgIron: 2mgNET CARBS: 55g
Frequently asked questions
Most fishmongers and grocery stores clean the clams before selling them, but I recommend giving them a rinse and scrub yourself to ensure there is no excess debris or sand.
Many experts recommend soaking the clams in warm water for 30 minutes, but I learned in culinary school that 10 minutes is sufficient. This is enough time to purge any sand.
Clams are the easiest seafood to know when they are cooked, as the shells open. Once they open up, remove them from the sauce to prevent them from overcooking.
