Linguine with Clams

Linguine with Clams is a recipe that always felt like a special treat in our family, whether it was served on a Friday night or on Christmas Eve as part of the Feast of Seven Fishes. Our family combines both fresh and canned clams to maximize briny flavor but also make sure everyone gets clams in their dish!

If you're a big fan of linguine with clams, you may want to also try Grilled Clams with White Wine Sauce in the summer!

Why this Linguine with Clams works for our family

This Linguine with Clams recipe works for our family because it combines the fresh, briny flavor of littleneck clams with a can of whole clams that add more clam meat to the pasta. This way, everyone always gets more than just a few clams.

The combination of both the fresh and canned clams with the dry white wine, garlic, and lemon creates a light white wine and clam sauce that coats the linguine with a glossy finish and briny flavor.

We always serve this as the pasta on Christmas Eve as part of the Feast of Seven Fishes because it's a simple recipe with less than 30 minutes of hands-on time once the clams are purged. Try Linguine with Red Clam Sauce if you want to try a version with a red sauce!

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

• Littleneck Clams- Littleneck clams are perfect for linguine with clams because they're small, flavorful, and tender. Alternatives or substitutions that I've used are Top Neck clams and Manila clams.
• Canned Clams- My family has always supplemented with a can of whole clams because they put more clam meat throughout the pasta without having to buy even more clams. I do not drain the liquid! I add the same canned clams when making Manhattan Clam Chowder or New England Clam Chowder.
• White Wine- I choose a dry white wine like Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio because of the bright citrus-forward flavor.
• Linguine- Linguine with clams is traditional because its flat surface catches the sauce well. Spaghetti is a good substitute.

*Please see the recipe card for exact measurements.

Fresh vs Canned clams

I use a combination of local, fresh, Littleneck clams and canned clams. The fresh clams release a briny cooking liquid when they steam that you can't get if you just use canned clams. The canned clams just add more total clams to the dish, but on their own, the flavor isn't as fresh as using live clams.

When buying your clams, try to inspect them if possible and discard any clams that have broken shells. This is an indication that the clam is dead. If a clam appears to be open, tap it on a hard surface and see if it closes to test if it is still alive.

A healthy clam looks like the one above. It is shut tight with no cracks or openings.

Purging Fresh Littleneck Clams

Start by scrubbing the shells to remove any sand, dirt, or debris on the outside of the shells. It feels like I shouldn't have to say this, but PLEASE, don't use soap. Just use some water and your hands to remove whatever is on the shells. Use a brush if necessary.

Then place your clams in a saltwater bath for 30-60 minutes. This is called purging the clams. They will filter in the fresh cold water and expel sand and grit.

Lift the clams from the water and rinse them to avoid letting the sand dump right back on top of them. Rinse the clams and put them back in another cold saltwater bath with fresh water for 30 minutes.

Purging the clams removes sand and debris from the clams, which can completely ruin the dish because it will feel like you're chewing on sand. You can ask the seafood market if the clams have already been purged or not.

How to Make Linguine with Clams

Rinse the clams after their final purge and keep them in the refrigerator until you reach STEP 3.

Step 1: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water. Meanwhile, heat a wide saucepan with a lid to medium heat. Add extra virgin olive oil and once shimmering, stir in the garlic and the crushed red pepper.

Testing Tip: Save at least 1 cup of water before draining the linguine.

Step 2: Stir the garlic for about 60 seconds or until fragrant. Pour in the white wine, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Bring to a gentle simmer. Simmer for 3-5 minutes until the sharp alcohol smell has cooked off. While the sauce reduces, add the linguine to the boiling water and cook it for about 1-2 minutes less than the package directions for al dente. The pasta will finish cooking in the clam sauce.

Step 3: Place all of the fresh clams into the sauce. Cover and steam for 5-7 minutes. Start checking around 4 minutes and remove the clams from the pan as they open. Remove the clams from their shells and pour in your canned clams with their liquid. The sauce should still be very loose.

Testing Tip: Discard any clams that will not open.

Step 4: Add about ¼ cup of pasta to the sauce. Drain your pasta and add it to the pan. Bring the sauce to a simmer, tossing often to allow the starch to mix with the sauce.

Step 5: Stir the pasta often until the sauce becomes glossy and sticks to the pasta, about 4 minutes. Right before serving, toss with fresh chopped parsley.

Traditionally, linguine with clams is not served with parmesan cheese. Parmesan can overpower the light and delicate briny flavor. Serve with chopped parsley.

I like to save the shells and serve some of the clams in the shells on the dish as a garnish.

Christmas Eve Recipes to Add to Your Feast of Seven Fishes

• I always like to have some filets on the table like Pistachio Crusted Fish, Lemon Garlic Broiled Flounder, or Cast Iron Lemon Dill Salmon
• Some great seafood appetizers to try are Italian Stuffed Baked Clams, The Best Homemade Shrimp Cocktail, Garlic Sage Seared Scallops, or Steamed Mussels in White Wine
• We usually have more than just linguine alla vongole on the table too, like Shrimp Fra Diavolo Sauce with Linguine, or Squid Ink Pasta with Calamari.

FAQs about linguine with clams

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