Linguine with Roasted Garlic & Clam Sauce

Roasted garlic changes everything in a clam sauce. Instead of the sharp bite of raw or sautéed garlic, roasting mellows it into something sweet, nutty, and almost creamy. Those soft cloves get chopped and stirred into olive oil with red pepper flakes and parsley, then a full cup of white wine comes in to build the sauce before the littleneck clams go in to steam open.

Roast the garlic first, wrapped in foil with a drizzle of olive oil, until the cloves are golden and squeezably tender. While they roast, get your linguine cooked and drained. The timing works out neatly: the garlic roasts in about 20 minutes, the clam sauce takes about 10, and everything comes together at the same time.

Once the wine is simmering and the clams go in, cover the pot and leave it alone. About 8 minutes and you’ll hear them popping open. Any clam that stays shut after cooking gets tossed; it was dead before it hit the pot. Stir the drained linguine directly into the pot with the clams and sauce so the pasta absorbs the briny, garlicky liquid. Serve immediately while the clams are still plump and juicy.

Kitchen Tips

• Scrub the clam shells thoroughly under cold water before cooking to remove grit
• Use a dry white wine you’d actually drink; the flavor concentrates in the sauce
• Don’t overcook the clams past the point of opening or they’ll turn rubbery
• Save a cup of pasta cooking water; if the sauce needs loosening, it’s better than plain water

Variations

• Butter finish: Stir in 2 tablespoons of cold butter at the end for a richer sauce
• Tomato version: Add a cup of halved cherry tomatoes with the wine
• Mixed seafood: Toss in a handful of mussels alongside the clams