Very Simple Clam Linguine (Linguine alla Vongole)

I never really make my clam linguine the exact same way twice, but I always follow a basic framework: sweat some alliums in butter and olive oil, add some wine and lemon, steam the clams open, then finish it off with pasta, pasta water, more butter and olive oil, and some fresh herbs. That’s it.

You can mix up the alliums (today I used leeks and garlic—often I’ll use garlic and shallot), you can use herbs other than parsley (oregano, basil, chives, tarragon all work for me), you can use spaghetti instead of linguine, you can add some bacon or pancetta to the olive oil at the start, etc.

You can even add some grated Parmesan or Romano at the end (I won’t tell) or even better, bread crumbs toasted in butter.

Serves 2 adults or 1 adult and 2 kids

Ingredients

Kosher salt

1 tablespoons (15ml) extra virgin olive oil, plus more to finish

1 tablespoon (15g) butter, plus more to finish

1 small leek or medium shallot (about 75g) thinly sliced

2 to 6 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced

Freshly ground black pepper or a pinch of red pepper flakes

1 cup (240ml) of dry white wine

1 lemon

1 or more pounds (450g) of clams, scrubbed and rinsed

1/2 pound (224g) of long, thin pasta like spaghetti or linguine

Minced fresh parsley

Steps

1. Bring a large, wide saucepan or skillet of salted water to a boil.

2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil and butter in a large straight-sided skillet or saucepan over medium high heat until melted. Add the leeks and garlic, season with a pinch of salt and a few cracks of black pepper, and cook, stirring, until til softened but not browned, 3-4 minutes

3. Add the white wine and the zest of the lemon. Bring to a boil and simmer until reduce down to about a half cup.

4. Add the pasta to the water, and give it a stir.

5. About 4 minutes before the pastas recommended cook time, add the clams to the wine, increase heat to high, cover, and cook, string occasionally, and the clams are mostly popped open, about 2 minutes. By this point in the pasta should be just shy of al dente.

6. Clack a set of tongs together at least three times, then use them to transfer the pasta to the pot with the clams along with a few splashes of its cooking water.

7. Add about half lemon’s worth of juice, along with a drizzle of extraversion olive oil, and a pat or two a butter. Continue cooking over the highest heat, until the broth is creamy and emulsified. It’s OK if it’s pretty brothy. Sprinkle with parsley, season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve.