Linguine alle Vongole - Clam Linguine
Serving: 4
Calories: 470kcal
Ingredients
- 12 oz linguine pasta
- 4 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, optional
- ½ fresh red chili pepper, deseeded and finely minced (optional)
- 2 lb fresh clams, cleaned, see notes
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon thyme leaves and/or chopped parsley
- zest of 1 organic lemon
- Sea salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Lightly salt the boiling water, and add in the linguine pasta. Cook until just halfway through the cooking time suggested on the package. Remove ¼ cup (60 ml) of pasta cooking water from the pot, and set it aside.
- Heat the extra-virgin olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add in the garlic and chili (if using) and a sprinkle of lemon zest, followed by the clams, and sauté all the ingredients for 2 minutes, then sprinkle them with fresh chopped parsley and/or lemon thyme.
- Cover the pot with a lid and simmer until the clams open, about 2 minutes. Discard the garlic clove and the clams that did not open, then pour the clam sauce through a sieve or cheesecloth, and set it aside.
- Drain the linguine pasta, and add it to the pan with the clams. Pour in the reserved filtered clam sauce and continue cooking the pasta, adding a ladle of reserved pasta water at a time, until the linguine are al dente.
- Remove the pan from the heat, sprinkle with the lemon zest and the remaining thyme leaves and parsley, and toss gently to combine all the ingredients.
- Serve immediately with freshly-cracked black pepper on top.
Notes
How to clean clams
Cleaning clams properly is essential to ensure they are safe to eat and free from sand. Here's how to clean clams before making this pasta recipe:
- Place the clams in a colander or large bowl. Rinse them under cold running water to remove any surface dirt or debris.
- Discard any clams that are cracked, broken, or remain open when tapped, as these may be dead and unsafe to eat.
- Fill a large bowl with cold water, and add ⅓ cup of salt per gallon of water to create a brine solution.
- Allow the clams to soak for at least 1 hour. During this time, they will expel sand and grit from inside their shells.
- After soaking, use a stiff-bristle brush to scrub the shells under running water to remove any remaining dirt and sand.
- After scrubbing, give the clams a final rinse under cold running water.
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Nutrition
Calories: 470kcal | Carbohydrates: 65g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 25mg | Potassium: 211mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 103IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 2mg
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.