Clam Sauce Recipe

Lots of garlic, olive oil, white wine, and clams tossed with al dente linguine for a great Italian supper!

This clam sauce recipe, which uses largely pantry goods, is irresistible, quick enough for a weeknight meal but elegant enough for guests.

Why Is This Recipe So Delicious?

My obsession with shellfish began many years ago in Italy, and I still get linguine alle vongole whenever I visit.

I’ve been making linguine alle vongole (“clam linguine”) for years, and this recipe preserves all of the original’s great, rich flavor while making it so much easier by using canned clams.

What’s even better is that this recipe is primarily pantry basics, so it’s also cheap!

Ingredients For Clam Sauce

Linguine – A basic ribbon noodle that is broader than spaghetti but rounder than fettuccine, linguine is ideal for soaking up the sauce while letting the other flavors show.

Clams — Canned clams make this spaghetti quick and fast, but the flavor is still rich, salty, and somewhat fishy.

Olive oil – A light, fresh olive oil is ideal for preparing a savory sauce without overpowering the other flavors.

White wine – A splash of white wine complements the olive oil and mussels’ salinity.

Chef’s Advice

• Tomatoes and fresh basil are frequently added to this meal in Southern Italy. I did mine without, but feel free to add them if you like!
• Make sure your water is liberally salted to get your linguine perfectly al dente. Also, make sure there’s plenty of water in the pot so the pasta has room to move about and expand.

Clam Sauce

Canned clams make this tasty and savory pasta dish even easier.

Ingredients

• 1 12-ounce package of linguine
• ¼ cup olive oil of good quality
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 3 8-ounce cans minced clams 24 ounces, juice drained and reserved
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ cup chopped parsley plus more for garnish
• crushed red pepper flakes for garnish, optional

Equipment

• Large pot
• Large skillet

Instructions

1. Fill a big pot halfway with salted water. Cook, stirring occasionally until the linguine is al dente. Drain the pasta water and set aside the noodles.
2. Warm olive oil in a big skillet over medium-high heat until it is hot and shimmering. Sauté the garlic until it is fragrant.
3. Combine the reserved clam juice, white wine, and salt in a mixing bowl. Bring liquid to a boil, then decrease heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes, or until liquid has reduced by about half.
4. In a skillet, combine the minced clams and chopped parsley. Reduce heat to low and stir until clams are well heated.
5. Cook the linguine in the skillet. Toss pasta in sauce over low heat until some (but not all) of the sauce has been absorbed. Serve immediately with extra parsley and crushed red pepper flakes on top of the pasta and clam sauce.

Notes

• Optional Variation: Tomatoes and fresh basil are frequently added to this meal in Southern Italy.
• Cooking al dente pasta tips: Make sure your water is well salted. Make sure there’s plenty of water in the saucepan so the pasta can move about and expand.
• Make it Low Carb/Keto: Use a pasta substitute, such as palming noodles.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1serving, with pasta, Calories: 571kcal, Carbohydrates: 75g, Protein: 22g, Fat: 16g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 10g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 50mg, Sodium: 1656mg, Potassium: 286mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 632IU, Vitamin C: 11mg, Calcium: 40mg, Iron: 4mg, Net Carbs: 72g