Linguine with Clams

Linguine with Clams is one of my all time favorite recipes. Oddly enough, I usually only have it at restaurants. It always seems so fancy but in reality it’s so simple. Like, ridiculously simple.

The key is to have fresh clams and this is what freaks everyone out when it comes to making this at home. I recommend making sure to ask if the clams are cleaned when you get them from the fishmonger. When they pack them up for you, generally it’s in a tight butcher paper like how they pack everything else, so, when you get home, make sure to remove the clams from the packaging and let them breathe. You can keep them in the netting if they come that way, but place them in a bowl in the fridge. You can place them over ice if you like too, but if you are making them the same day, placing them in a bowl is just fine. When I was researching how to properly clean clams, there were many different opinions. However, I will let you know what works for me. About 20 minutes before you are ready to cook up the clams, place them in a bowl of cold water and add in some salt, about a palm-full. This will help them to release any sand they are holding onto. If there is a lot of sand after about 10 minutes, you can dump the water and do the process again to make sure all the sand is removed. Then they are ready to cook! See, simple!

As for the wine…use something you would drink. I like using a dry Italian wine for this. A Sauvignon Blanc would work as well.

Lastly, I add something to mine that is very controversial…parmesan cheese. Many Italians do not add cheese to seafood dishes, and I just do not fall into that category. I am a huge advocate for seafood and cheese. What’s not to like!? So, I add a lovely (and large) sprinkle of freshly grated parmesan cheese over the finished pasta…and I’m not even sorry about it.