Ingredients

The following ingredients have 4 Servings
  • 4 dozen littleneck or cherrystone clams (cleaned, see above)
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
  • 1/3 cup shallots (chopped)
  • 3 garlic cloves (crushed)
  • 2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley (chopped)
  • 1/2 cup white cooking wine
  • Juice of 2 lemons
  • 1 lemon (washed, cut into wedges, seeds removed)
  • 1 can chopped clams (undrained (optional))
  • 1 pounds linguine (cooked)
  • Freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano Cheese

Instruction

  • Start by clarifying the butter. This process is removing all of the butter fat to get a pure butter taste. Unsalted butter has less liquid than salted butter and therefore is easier to clarify. Heat butter in a small sauce pan. A foam will bubble to the top. Skim the foam off the top until there is only a golden mixture left.
  • Transfer to a large dutch oven or stock pan. Saute butter, adding shallots and crushed garlic, When pungent and soft, add parsley, white wine, lemon juice and lemon wedges. Heat to a simmer, approximately 3-4 minutes. Add chopped clams.
  • Add whole clams and cover to steam. Turn clams once. This process will take less than 10 minutes, so have the pasta in boiling water before you add clams to the broth. Clams are ready when they open. If any clams have not opened after 10 minutes they are duds. Toss them out.
  • Place cooked pasta into serving dishes. Divide clams into dishes, one dozen each. I like the look of whole clams and broth over pasta, but my husband prefers the clams to be removed from the shell before eating. Do whichever you prefer and top with Parmesan-Reggiano cheese.*
  • If you've tried this recipe come back and let us know how it was!