Pasta with White Clam Sauce

This is white clam sauce the way it’s supposed to be. No cream, no butter, no canned clams. Fresh littlenecks or manilas steamed open in a broth of fish stock, dry white wine, and garlic, then served shell-on over linguine with the cooking liquid spooned right over the top.

The sauce builds itself. Olive oil and finely chopped garlic sizzle together until fragrant, then fish stock and wine come to a boil. The clams go in, the lid goes on, and in 3-5 minutes every shell pops open. The clam juices mingle with the wine and stock to create a briny, garlicky broth that needs nothing else.

Fresh Italian parsley stirred into the liquid at the end adds color and a grassy freshness that cuts through the richness of the broth. Serving the clams shell-on is part of the experience. Pulling them from the shells at the table is how this dish is meant to be eaten.

Pro Tips

• Scrub the clams thoroughly under cold running water and discard any that are already open and don’t close when tapped. They’re dead and not safe to eat
• Time your pasta to finish right when the clams are done. The sauce waits for no one, and reheating overcooked clams turns them rubbery
• Discard any clams that don’t open after steaming. Forcing them open means they were dead before cooking
• Use a salt-free fish stock since the clams release plenty of natural brine on their own

Variations

• Add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the garlic for a spicy white clam sauce
• Toss in halved cherry tomatoes right before serving for a light rosso variation
• Use Manila clams or cockles if littlenecks aren’t available at your fishmonger