LINGUINE WITH SPICY RED CLAM SAUCE

This is a quick and delicious seafood pasta dish and it makes a great weeknight meal. You can easily double the recipe for four servings. Don't use canned clams because fresh clams are widely available in the seafood section of your supermarket and there is no comparison to the canned clams. 

2 dozen small clams (littleneck, Manila, or cherrystone)

½ cup dry white wine

2 T extra-light olive oil

1 shallot or small yellow onion, finely diced

3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

½ t red pepper flakes

1 cup whole peeled Italian tomatoes, preferably San Marzano

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

½ lb linguine

2 T chopped Italian parsley

Extra-virgin olive oil, for finishing

Scrub clams with a brush under cold running water and place in a bowl.

If not using right away, cover with a damp tea towel and refrigerate.

In a large skillet, bring wine to a boil.

Add the clams, cover and cook for about 4 to 5 minutes, until clams open. 

Discard any clams that fail to open.

Pour clams and juice from skillet into a large mesh strainer set over a bowl to catch the juice.

Set the bowl with the clam juice aside.

Leave the clams in their shells and place in another bowl, cover with a plate to keep warm. 

In the same large skillet heat the olive oil over medium heat and sauté the onion for about 3 minutes. 

Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté another minute.

Pour the tomatoes into a bowl and hand crush them, removing any hard center cores.

Alternatively, use an immersion blender to chop the tomatoes.

Add the tomatoes to the skillet and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Simmer, for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large pot, cook the linguine in boiling salted water for about 6 to 7 minutes, until al dente. 

Reserve about ½ cup of pasta cooking water and pour over the clams in their shells to keep them warm.

After tomato sauce has been simmering 10 minutes, add the strained clam juice and simmer another 10 minutes, to reduce. 

Add the drained pasta to the sauce and toss to combine.

Pour in the clams and the liquid.

Gently toss and heat through.

Divide between 2 warm pasta bowls. 

Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and drizzle with a little extra-virgin olive oil.

Serves 2