this was my first foray into making clams this way, and it turned out so well i will surely do it again. fyi, most clams you get at grocery stores and fine fish markets have already been purged of the sand, but it is always a good idea to ask. also, i have gotten clams from 2 different vendors at different farmers markets and one purges them and one did not. again, it is a good idea to ask. sandy clams are a really good way to ruin a delicious meal.

2 servings:

  • 2 lbs of clams, such as littlenecks, scrubbed and purged
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 2 cloves of garlic, sliced thin
  • 1/2 cup red bell pepper, 1/2 inch dice
  • 1 cup basic tomato sauce
  • 1/4 cup dry white wine
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped fine
  • s+p
  • 4 oz of cooked linguine (roughly 1/4 of a package of dried pasta), boil the water while prepping the other ingredients and the timing turns out pretty well
  • parmesan, grated

in a large sauté pan (with a lid) heat the oil, toss in the garlic, red pepper flakes, bell pepper and cook until soft and golden, about 5 mins. add the tomato sauce and wine and bring to a boil. add the clams, stir around a bit so they are not on top of each other, and put the lid on.

wait for the clams to open. they should open within about 5-8 minutes, and if not throw out the ones that don’t.

use a fork to take the clams out of their shells, toss in the fresh parsley and cooked linguine . add s+p to taste. serve with grated parmesan.

enjoy!