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This white clam sauce is heavenly: lots of garlic, olive oil, white wine, and clams tossed with al dente linguine for a delicious Italian dinner! Made with mostly pantry ingredients, this easy recipe is addictive, quick enough for a weeknight dinner, but elegant enough for company.
What Makes This Recipe So Good
My love affair with shellfish began in Italy many years ago, and to this day, I always order linguine alle vongole when I’m there. I’ve been making linguine alle vongole (“linguine with clams”) for years, and this recipe keeps all the delicious, rich flavor of the original, but makes it so much easier by using canned clams. What’s great is that this recipe uses mostly pantry staples, making it inexpensive, too!
Ingredients
- Linguine – A simple ribbon pasta that is wider than spaghetti and rounder than fettuccine, linguine is perfect for soaking up the sauce and allowing the other flavors to shine.
- Clams – Canned clams make this pasta super easy and inexpensive, yet still have a rich, salty, slightly fishy flavor.
- Olive oil – A light, fresh olive oil is perfect for making a sauce that is savory but doesn’t overpower the other flavors.
- White wine – A little white wine enhances the olive oil and the saltiness of the clams.
Chef’s Tips
- In Southern Italy, tomatoes and fresh basil are often added to this dish. I’ve made mine without, but you can add those if you’d like!
- To get your linguine perfectly al dente, make sure to heavily salt your water. Make sure to use plenty of water in the pot, too, so that the pasta has plenty of room to move around and expand.
More Delicious Italian Recipes
- Caprese Sandwich (Melted or Cold)
- Chicken Carbonara
- Baked Feta Pasta
- Chicken Piccata (Paleo, Gluten Free)
- Cottage Cheese Alfredo
White Clam Sauce with Linguine
Equipment
- Large pot
- Large skillet
Ingredients
- 1 12-ounce package linguine
- ¼ cup olive oil good quality
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 3 8-ounce cans minced clams 24 ounces, juice drained and reserved
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup chopped parsley plus more for garnish
- crushed red pepper flakes for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Fill large pot with salted water. Add linguine and cook until pasta is al dente. Drain pasta water and set noodles aside.
- In large skillet over medium-high heat, warm olive oil until oil is hot and shimmering. Add garlic and sauté until just fragrant.
- Add reserved liquid from cans of clams, white wine, and salt. Stir well and bring liquid to boil, then reduce heat to medium and cook 10 minutes or until liquid has reduced approximately 50%.
- Add minced clams and chopped parsley to skillet. Stir until clams are heated through, then reduce heat to low.
- Add cooked linguine to skillet. Toss pasta in sauce over low heat until noodles have absorbed some (not all) sauce. Plate pasta and clam sauce, garnish with additional parsley and crushed red pepper flakes if desired, and serve immediately.
- Optional Variation: In Southern Italy, tomatoes and fresh basil are often added to this dish.
- Tips for cooking pasta al dente: Make sure to heavily salt your water. Use plenty of water in the pot, so that the pasta has plenty of room to move around and expand.
- Make it Keto/Low Carb: Use a pasta alternative, like palmini noodles.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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Excellent! I also added freeze-dried shallots and chives.
Yum! Thanks for the review! So glad you enjoyed!
Use the tomatoes and basil!!!, what do you expect from a Southern Italian”
A few grinds of black pepper works.
Thanks for the review, Vince!
Amazing and simple. Even my picky eater said it was delicious. This is a keeper.
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed and that it’s a keeper! Thanks so much for the review!
excellent
Thanks so much for the review!
I can’t wait to try this recipe, just curious if you use evoo or extra light olive oil. And which white wine, Pinot Grigio?
Any dry white wine you like will work just fine, and you can totally use EVOO. Enjoy!
This is my go-to white clam sauce. Quick, easy, delicious! Even my youngest son can make it when I’m having a craving but don’t have the energy to make dinner myself. Of course, I have to stand over him with a baseball bat to make sure he doesn’t take so many “test tastes” that I’m left with nothing in the skillet for my dinner. 🙂
I have a couple of variations that I use, as well, depending on my mood. Okay, not a “couple.” I sometimes saute mushrooms and onions in butter and add them to the sauce. Delicious either way!
Haha, I’m so happy this one works so well for you, Drisanna! Your variations sound delicious, too. Thank you for your review!
We enjoy the white clam sauce with linguine, I added some extra little neck clams it was delicious!
Sounds delicious! Thank you for sharing, Christine!
I made this dish decades ago. Time for it again. I will use low Sodium chicken stock and just 2 Tbsp. Clam juice. The juice is incredibly salty for us. Wegman’s Heritage Spaghetti from Puglia or any best quality from Italy. Fresh Garlic 😋😃
Hope you enjoy, Sienna! 🙂
great
So happy you enjoyed it, Jerry!
Excellent recipe for a white clam sauce with good flavor. I add a little lemon juice to mine at the end to give it a little more.
So happy you enjoyed it, Joseph! A spritz of lemon juice is a great finishing touch!
simple but totally satisfying.. I added 1/4 tsp black pepper for more depth of taste. Wonderful.
Thrilled to hear it! Thanks for sharing!