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Linguini in Clam Sauce

Chef Carmelo
This is the quintessence of the Italian pasta dishes especially in Naples and Rome, the clams are always cooked with their shells, once they open the sauce it is made. Here in this recipe for linguine in clam sauce, although they can also replace them with cockles that are smaller.
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Ingredients
  

  • 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 6 cloves of garlic (sliced)
  • 4 anchovies (chopped finely)
  • 36 clams (cleaned) see notes on how to clean clams
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1/2 cup Chardonnay ( or any white wine)
  • 1/4 tsp pepperoncino (red pepper flakes)
  • 1/4 tsp dried oregano
  • 500 grams linguini
  • 3.4 cup fresh parsley (choped)

Instructions
 

  • In a large pot, put salted water to boil for the pasta, about 1 ½ of water, for each liter of water you should put 1 tablespoon of salt (it is not necessary to add oil to the water), since with the sauce it is more than enough. In a large skillet, add 4 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the sliced garlic and cook about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the anchovies and stir until the anchovies separate and dissolve in the oil, about 2 minutes.Add the clams to the pan, along with the pepitocino and oregano. Add 1 ½ cup of water plus ½ cup of Chardonnay wine. Bring to a simmer and cover until the clams open, about 5 to 7 minutes.
  • As the clams open, move to a bowl. Meanwhile, adding more water if necessary should only cover them. When all the clams are out, increase the heat to high and add ½ cup of parsley. Cook until halved. Meanwhile, peel the clams, reserving some in their shell to decorate the plate (optional).
  • When the linguini is al dente and the sauce is reduced, add the pasta directly to the sauce and drizzle with 2 remaining tablespoons of olive oil.
  • Cook and stir until pasta is coated with sauce. Add the clams without shell and the remaining 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley, cook one more minute to mix the flavors and serve immediately.

Notes

Never ask for or add cheese to your linguini with clam sauce. Accompany them with a good, very cold Chardonnay white wine. Cheers.!!!
How to clean clams or mussels
  1. Soak your clams for 20 minutes in fresh water just before cooking. As the clams breathe they filter water. When the fresh water is filtered, the clam pushes salt water and sand out of their shells. After 20 minutes, the clams will have cleaned themselves of much of the salt and sand they have collected. Instead of pouring the clams and water into a strainer, pull the clams out of the water. Sand has sunk to the bottom of the bowl; pouring the water into a strainer will pour it back over the clams.
  2. Once the clams have been soaked, use a firm brush and scrub off any additional sand, barnacles, or other oceanic attachments. This is the same final method used when cleaning mussels.