Easy Linguine with Clams
The easiest, budget-friendly pasta you will ever make, and it'll be on your dinner table in just 30 min. It's just THAT easy!
Ingredients
- 12 ounces linguine
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
- ½ cup vegetable broth
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 pounds littleneck clams, cleaned
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Equipment
Instructions
- In a large stockpot or Dutch oven of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions; reserve 1/2 cup water and drain well.
- Melt butter in the Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes, and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Stir in vegetable broth; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until reduced by half, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in clams. Cover, with a tight-fitting lid, and cook until the clams have opened, about 5-8 minutes. Discard any unopened clams.
- Stir in pasta and reserved pasta water, one tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached.
- Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.
Notes
- Clean the clams first. This is key to remove sand and grit as well as exterior debris.
- Cook the pasta until al dente. The pasta will finish cooking in the sauce, soaking up the briny clam juice, without overcooking and getting soggy.
- Reserve the pasta water. Thanks to the starch in the pasta water, this will help the briny sauce stick to the pasta for a smooth coating.
- Finish with butter. Stir in 1 tablespoon butter just before serving for a rich, shiny gloss to the pasta.
- Loosen the sauce when reheating. Since the pasta will continue absorbing the sauce as it sits, add in a splash of water, white wine or clam juice to loosen the sauce.