Linguine with Clams
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
Linguine with clams in a garlicky white wine sauce makes an easy and elegant Italian pasta dinner.
Linguine with clams is a classic Italian restaurant dish, and it’s also one of the simplest, most affordable pasta dishes you can make at home. I know cooking shellfish, like clams and mussels, can be intimidating to the uninitiated, but I promise they are the easiest thing in the world to cook — and once you try it, you’ll wonder what took you so long! For this dish, you can do all of the prep and make the clam sauce in the time it takes to boil the pasta, so dinner is done in 30 minutes. To complete the meal, toss a salad, warm some crusty bread, and pour a few glasses of the same white wine used to make the sauce.
Looking for more classic Italian restaurant pasta dishes? Try my penne all vodka, bolognese, and lasagna.
What you’ll need to make Linguine with clams
HOW TO PREPARE THE CLAMS
The recipe calls for Littleneck clams, which are readily available at most supermarkets. They are usually sold in a mesh bag because they are alive and need to breathe. If your fishmonger places them in a plastic bag, remove them from the bag immediately when you get home from the supermarket and place them in a bowl (uncovered) in the refrigerator.
To prepare the clams, first, check that they are alive by making sure all of the shells are tightly closed. If any clams are open, gently tap them against the countertop; if they are alive, they will close their shells. Discard any clams that do not close their shells or that have cracked or chipped shells.
Next, place all of the clams in a bowl and cover them with cool tap water. Let the clams sit for 20 minutes to an hour. During this time, the clams will expel sand from inside their shells. When you’re ready to cook, lift each clam from the water and rinse it, scrubbing if necessary, to get rid of any grit from the surface. (Note that most supermarkets sell farm-raised clams, which are already quite clean, so you may not find a lot of grit or sand.)
How To Make Linguine with Clams
In a large pot over high heat, bring 4 quarts of water and 2 tablespoons of kosher salt to a boil. Add the linguine and cook according to package directions until just shy of al dente. (The pasta should still be firm to the bite since it will cook another minute or two in the sauce).
Reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water, drain the linguine in a colander (do not rinse).
Meanwhile, prep all of the ingredients for the sauce.
In a very large sauté pan over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil until hot but not smoking. Add the shallots and garlic and sauté until just golden, about 30 seconds.
Add the wine, red pepper flakes, 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/4 cup of the parsley.
Toss in the clams, then bring to a simmer.
Cook, covered, until the clams open, 6 to 8 minutes. Discard any unopened clams.
Add the drained pasta to the sauté pan with the clams. (If you don’t have room for everything in one pan, transfer the clams to a plate and cover to keep warm. When ready to serve, add them back to the pasta on a serving platter).
Increase the heat to medium and cook the linguine with the clams, tossing occasionally, until the pasta absorbs most of the sauce and is just tender, 1 to 2 minutes. If necessary, add some of reserved cooking water to keep moist.
Remove the pan from the heat. Add the butter, lemon zest, lemon juice, and the remaining 2 tablespoons of parsley; toss to coat.
Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt, lemon zest and/or lemon juice, if necessary. Transfer the linguini with clams to a serving dish or bowls and serve.
you may Also like
- Maryland Crab Cakes with Quick Tartar Sauce
- Cacio e Pepe
- Cioppino (Fisherman’s Stew)
- Oven-Steamed Mussels with Garlic and White Wine
- Shrimp Scampi with Pasta
Linguine with Clams
Linguine with clams in a garlicky white wine sauce makes an easy and elegant Italian pasta dinner.
Ingredients
- Kosher salt
- 1 pound linguine
- 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ cup finely chopped shallots, from 2 shallots
- 6 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
- 1 cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc (see note)
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 pounds Littleneck clams (40 to 45), scrubbed
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest, from 1 lemon, plus more to taste
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, from 1 lemon, plus more to taste
Instructions
- In large pot over high heat, bring 4 quarts of water and 2 tablespoons of kosher salt to a boil. Add the linguine and cook according to the package directions until just shy of al dente (the pasta should still be firm to the bite since it will cook another minute or two in the sauce). Drain in a colander (do not rinse), reserving ½ cup of the cooking water for the sauce.
- Meanwhile, in a very large sauté pan over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil until hot but not smoking. Add the shallots and garlic and sauté until just golden, about 30 seconds. Add the wine, red pepper flakes, ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, clams, and ¼ cup of the parsley; bring to a simmer and cook, covered, until the clams open, 6 to 8 minutes. Discard any unopened clams.
- Add the pasta to the sauté pan with the clams. (If you don't have room for everything in one pan, transfer the clams to a plate and cover to keep warm. When ready to serve, add them back to the pasta on a serving platter). Increase the heat to medium and cook the linguini with the clams, tossing occasionally, until the pasta absorbs most of the sauce and is just tender, 1 to 2 minutes. If necessary, add some of reserved cooking water to keep moist. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the butter, lemon zest, lemon juice, and the remaining 2 tablespoons of parsley; toss to coat. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt, lemon zest and/or lemon juice, if necessary. Transfer to a serving dish or bowls and serve.
- Note: When cooking with wine, select a bottle that is inexpensive (under $10) but still good enough to drink. Avoid "cooking wines," which are salty and include additives.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
Powered by 
- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 627
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated fat: 6 g
- Carbohydrates: 67 g
- Sugar: 4 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 33 g
- Sodium: 920 mg
- Cholesterol: 61 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
See more recipes:
Comments
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Thank you so much for this recipe! I made it last night (without the red pepper flakes) and am enjoying the leftovers today. I added extra lemon juice to my plate, which was so great and allows others to adjust the acidity and brightness. I could see this being a nice dish for a small dinner party. You have demystified clams for me!
Jenn I made this last evening using shrimp instead of clams. It was fantastic. My daughter had two servings and loved it. I didn’t change the recipe at all except for the shrimp. You’re right, it comes together very easily and is so delicious. Thanks for another wonderful recipe!
I made this last night with mussels, Chateau Ste Michelle Sauvignon Blanc and our new favorite brand of pasta, De Cecco. The mussels took only about 3-4 minutes to open in the pan. Very easy and very tasty. My husband especially liked this dish. I served it with a simple arugula salad. I will definitely make this again using either clams or mussels, depending on what looks best in the market that day.
I’d like to use canned clams. What size would I need?
Hi Sona, not sure if you’re referring to the size of the clams or the size of the can. If you’re referring to the clams, any size will do. If it’s the can size you’re wondering about, I would guesstimate that you’ll need about 12 – 16 ounces. Hope that helps!
where did you buy your colander? must try this recipe. It looks delicious.
Hi Irene, I’ve had that colander for a really long time and unfortunately, I don’t recall where I got it-sorry! (Hope you enjoy the linguine if you try it.) 🙂
Hi Jenn,
I would like to make this with shrimp, is it better to use thawed cooked shrimp or uncooked shrimp and if using uncooked, should I add after clams open up? Thank you so much for your recipes. I can honestly say I have a better marriage and family because these delicious meals bring us to together most evenings. Thank you.
Hi Jennifer, So glad your family enjoys the recipes! 🙂
If you’d like to add shrimp to this, I’d suggest uncooked and I’d add them after the clams have been cooking for about 5 minutes. I’d love to hear how it turns out!
Hi Jenn! I don’t have access to littleneck clams, do you think the recipe would be as good with mussels?
Sure, Elise – I think mussels would beautifully here. Enjoy!
Can I use canned clams in this recipe? Fresh clams are harder for me to find and more expensive?
Sure, Catherine, but keep in mind that canned clams are higher in sodium than fresh. I would omit the salt in the sauce and add it to taste at the end. Please let me know how it turns out!
Just made it with canned clams Jenn-ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS! Thank you for a great recipe, I will definitely make it again.
Made it tonight and turned out great, better than in restaurants. I didn’t have fresh clams, so I used canned ones. Used clam juice from the drained can and topped it with some dry white wine to a total of 1 cup. Otherwise, followed the recipe precisely. My husband said it was perfect.
And yes, since I was using clam juice/white wine mixture, I reduced the amount of salt.
Tanya,
How many cans of clams did you have to use? Thank you!
Hi Jenn! Thank you for the recipe. What is a good substitute for white wine, if we do not cook with alcohol? Thank you!
Hi Maria, I would use bottled clam juice or store-bought vegetable broth (or a combination) — and I’d omit the salt in the sauce until the dish is fully cooked, then season to taste.
Hi Jenn, Thank you so much for this recipe, I tried this last Friday and always wanted to make a meal with fresh clams and wine. The picture ingredients helped too however, when I went to the store I brought a 6oz Pinot Noir to only discover it was RED. I was already in the middle of cooking and had to continue. The end result was still good with the dish being a bit darker. It still had a great flavor and my family loved it. Thanks for sharing I’ll have to try this recipe again with the correct wine next time.
OMG! This is my new favorite! I made this for dinner tonight and added shrimp. I had my parents over for dinner. Each of us had THREE helpings! We couldn’t stop raving about how delicious it was.
You answered my question about using shrimp. I know my daughter won’t eat clams but she loves shrimp. This is dinner for us tonight.
This is a great recipe. I love the detailed photos as I have always been a bit nervous cooking clams and the seasonings here are spot on….this will be my new go to recipe for the week. My husband really enjoyed it as well!
If you want to make this using both a fresh clams and a can of the chopped ones when do you add the chopped ones?
Hi Karen, I’d probably just add them along with the fresh clams so they can get warmed up. Hope you enjoy!
Hi Jenn, I realize most of these comments are from 2020, so hope you’ll reply. Need to use 2 cans of chopped clams instead of fresh. Can you please suggest how much of the can’s juice to include? Thank you so much! (& can onions be subbed in for shallots?)
Hi Karen, I’d suggest using 1/2 to 1 cup of the can’s juice. Hope that helps and that you enjoy!