Fettuccine with Red Clam Sauce

This red clam sauce is lean and briny, built on tomato paste and clam juice rather than a heavy tomato base. Five cloves of garlic sautéed until golden in olive oil form the aromatic foundation, then tomato paste gets stirred in for just a minute before the liquids go in.

Using both bottled clam juice and the reserved juice from the canned clams gives you a double dose of ocean flavor. The sauce simmers for 15 minutes to thicken slightly, concentrating that brininess into something that coats fettuccine instead of pooling at the bottom of the bowl.

The clams go in at the very end, just long enough to heat through. Overcooking canned clams turns them rubbery and tough. A pinch of red pepper flakes adds warmth without making the sauce spicy.

Fresh parsley stirred in during simmering keeps things bright.

Chef Tips

• Sauté the garlic until just golden, not brown. Burnt garlic turns bitter and ruins the sauce.
• Stir the tomato paste into the garlic oil for a full minute before adding liquid. This cooks out the raw, tinny taste that uncooked paste can leave.
• Toss the hot pasta directly in the sauce rather than pouring sauce on top. Tossing coats every strand and the starchy pasta water helps the sauce cling.
• Save a cup of pasta cooking water. If the sauce is too thick after tossing, a splash of starchy water loosens it perfectly.

Variations

• White clam sauce: Skip the tomato paste and increase the clam juice. Add white wine and finish with a squeeze of lemon.
• Fresh clams: Use littleneck clams steamed open in white wine for a more dramatic presentation.