This linguine with white clam sauce layers sweet shallots, garlic, butter, white wine, and fresh lemon for a bright, briny bowl loaded with clams. Toss al dente linguine right in the pan so it soaks up the lemon-butter clam broth for maximum flavor.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
A quick and easy pasta that both looks and tastes like it came straight from a restaurant- what’s not to love!
- Buttery broth – If you know me, you know I love a good sauce. This buttery sauce is not only easy, but super full of flavor.
- Dinner in under an hour – Most people tend to think a “fancy” seafood dish takes hours to prepare. This simple pasta only takes 35 minutes.
- Elegant yet easy – If you’d like to make a restaurant quality meal that’s also quick and easy, this linguine with clams is your answer.
Gather This
You can easily find the simple ingredients for this linguine with white clam sauce at your local grocery store. A full list of ingredients with measurements for this recipe is available in the printable recipe card below.
- Littleneck clams or cherrystone clams – Make sure you thoroughly clean your clams- sand and salt in your sauce will surely dampen the deliciousness factor. Clams are from the sea, and the sea has salt and sand.
- Unsalted butter
- Shallots
- Garlic cloves
- Italian parsley
- White wine
- Lemons
- Linquine
- Parmesan-reggiano cheese
How to Make Linguine with White Clam Sauce (Step-by-Step)
You can have this pasta ready in no time at all.
- Make sauce. In a large Dutch oven or skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic. When pungent and soft, add the parsley, white wine, lemon juice and lemon wedges.
- Add chopped clams and juice. Heat to a simmer for a few minutes. Stir in the chopped clams and clam juice.
- Add whole clams. Add the whole clams and cover to steam. Clams are ready when they open. Discard any clams shells that did not open.
- Toss pasta in sauce. Toss the cooked pasta in the sauce and with clams. Using tongs, evenly divide into bowls. Divide the clams among the bowls and then top with grated cheese and season with freshly ground pepper.
Success cues:
Broth is glossy and lightly thickened from butter + clam juices; pasta is well-coated, not soupy.
Perfect Pairings
As with any pasta, I like to serve this one with a leafy green side salad with garlic dressing. You could even serve with a caesar salad with fresh anchovies to take the seafood aspect of the meal up a notch.
I also like to serve pastas like this with some crusty bread. You can soak up that deliciously buttery sauce with it. Garlic bread is also a great option.
Variations
There are plenty of ways you can make this linguine alle vongole your own.
- More meat – While most traditional recipes also put a can of chopped clams in the sauce, this step is optional, but a cheap way of “meating” up the sauce and serving additional people on a dime.
- Heat – If you’d like a little spice in your life, try adding some red pepper flakes on top of your pasta.
- Pasta – Instead of linguini, you can really use any type of pasta you’d like. Spaghetti or fettuccini would work well.
Test Kitchen Tips
I’ve tested this linguine with white clam sauce recipe to be able to bring you the best tips and tricks.
- Salt the pasta water lightly– the sauce is naturally briny.
- Keep the sauce at a gentle simmer (not a hard boil) to avoid tough clams.
- Swirl in a spoon of pasta water if you want a looser, silkier emulsion.
- Scrub clams and discard any cracked shells; tap open clams- if they don’t close, discard.
How to Clean Clams
Clams will still be alive when you bring them home and will need to be cleaned thoroughly to prevent sand and excess salt from getting into the broth.
Place a colander into a large bowl, fill with clams. Cover with cold water and allow to sit for 20 minutes. Clams will suck in the water and clean the insides of themselves in 20 minutes.
Continue to clean clams by scrubbing the exterior of each clam to remove any stuck sand granules. Run cold water over clams until the bottom of the bowl is free from sand and water runs clean and clear. Remove and discard any chipped or broken clams.
Easy Seafood Recipes
We are big fans of seafood in our house, and if you are too, you will love some of our other favorite seafood dinners.
Linguine with Clam Sauce Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 dozen littleneck or cherrystone clams cleaned, see above
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup shallots , chopped
- 3 garlic cloves , minced or grated
- 2 tablespoons Italian parsley , chopped
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 lemon , cut into wedges, seeds removed
- 10 ounces canned chopped clams , undrained
- 1 pound linguine , cooked al dente according to box directions
- freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano Cheese
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven or skillet (large enough for pasta and 4 dozen clams), melt the 1/2 cup unsalted butter over medium heat.
- Add the chopped 1/3 cup shallots and minced 3 garlic cloves. When pungent and soft, add the chopped 2 tablespoons Italian parsley, 1/2 cup white wine, 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice and 1 lemon cut into wedges.
- Heat to a simmer for approximately 3-4 minutes. Stir in the undrained 10 ounces canned chopped clams.
- Add the 4 dozen littleneck or cherrystone clams and cover to steam for 5 minutes. Clams are ready when they open. Discard any clams shells that did not open.
- Toss the cooked 1 pound linguine in the sauce and with clams. Using tongs, evenly divide among 4 large pasta bowls. Divide the clams among the bowls and then top with freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano Cheese and season with freshly ground black pepper .
- If you've tried this recipe come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings.
Notes
How to Store Linguine with White Clam Sauce
Store any leftover pasta in an airtight container in the fridge. It should stay for up to three days.Can I Freeze Linguine with Clam Sauce?
Yes, you can freeze this pasta. Add it to an airtight container or freezer bag and keep frozen for up to three months.Nutrition
This is the second time I’ve made thus. It is delicious. Easy but so good! Thank you❤️
Looks delicious! Thanks for sharing!
Delicious!