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Linguine Alle Vongole With Fresh Tomatoes &Amp; Homemade Clam Broth

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Linguine Alle Vongole With Fresh Tomatoes &Amp; Homemade Clam Broth

Cuisine:Italian

Course:Dinner

30m prep 30m cook 1h 0m ready

Linguine alle vongole with fresh cherry tomatoes and a homemade clam broth. The pasta finishes cooking in the clam liquor, creating a glossy, briny sauce without butter or cream.

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Ingredients

Servings:
½× 1× 1½× 2× 3×
Units:
As Written US Metric
  • 998 g fresh live clams preferably the best seasonal variety available from your fishmonger
  • Salt for purging the clams
  • clams taken from the 1 kg above
  • water
  • 1 celery roughly chopped
  • 2 clove garlic lightly crushed
  • parsley stems
  • fresh thyme
  • 14.8 ml extra-virgin olive oil
  • 220 g linguine
  • 44.4 ml extra-virgin olive oil plus more for finishing
  • 2 clove garlic thinly sliced
  • flat-leaf parsley finely chopped
  • 50 ml dry white wine
  • 100 g cherry tomatoes preferably a mix of colours preferably a mix of colours, halved
  • fresh basil leaves
  • Salt as needed
  • 1
    • 1 kg fresh live clams, preferably the best seasonal variety available from your fishmonger
    • Salt, for purging the clams
    Sub-recipe steps
    1. Fill a large bowl with cold water and stir in enough salt to make it taste like seawater, then add the 2 1/5 lbs of fresh live clams and let them soak for at least 1 hour, or up to several hours, to purge any sand and grit. Discard any clams that remain open or that feel unusually heavy, as these may be dead or full of mud, and change the water once or twice during soaking if it becomes noticeably dirty.
    2. While the clams soak, scrub the shells of the closed clams under cool running water with a stiff brush to remove surface dirt, then transfer them to a clean bowl of fresh cold salted water until you are ready to cook. Drain the clams well in a colander just before using, discarding the soaking water and any clams that have not closed tightly.
  • 1
    • 8 –12 clams, taken from the 1 kg above
    • 3 –4 cups water (750 ml–1 litre)
    • 1 celery stalk, roughly chopped
    • 2 garlic cloves, lightly crushed
    • handful parsley stems
    • 3 –4 sprigs fresh thyme
    • 14.8 ml extra-virgin olive oil
    Sub-recipe steps
    1. Scrub the clams under cold running water to remove any grit, then set them aside. Roughly chop the celery stalk, lightly crush the garlic cloves with the side of a knife, and gather a handful of parsley stems and 3–4 sprigs of fresh thyme.
    2. In a large pot, heat 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped celery, crushed garlic, parsley stems, and thyme sprigs, and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and slightly softened, about 2–3 minutes.
    3. Add the scrubbed clams and pour in 3–4 cups of water (750 ml–1 litre), ensuring the clams are mostly submerged. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, until the clams open, about 5–8 minutes. Discard any clams that do not open.
    4. While the clams simmer, skim off any foam that rises to the surface. Once the clams have opened, remove the pot from the heat and let it cool slightly. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth or a clean kitchen towel into a bowl, pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the solids. Use the clam broth immediately, or cool and refrigerate for later use.
  • 1
    • 220 g linuine
    • 44.4 ml extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for finishing
    • 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
    • handful flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
    • 50 ml dry white wine
    • 100 –150 g cherry tomatoes, preferably a mix of colours, halved
    • handful fresh basil leaves
    • Salt, as needed
    Sub-recipe steps
    1. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a rolling boil. Add the linguine and cook until al dente, following the package timing, then drain, reserving a little of the starchy cooking water.
    2. While the pasta cooks, warm the 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil in a wide skillet over medium-low heat. Add the thinly sliced garlic and cook gently for 1–2 minutes, until fragrant and just beginning to turn pale gold — do not let it brown or it will taste bitter.
    3. Add the halved cherry tomatoes to the garlicky oil and cook over medium heat for 3–4 minutes, until they begin to soften and release their juices but still hold their shape.
    4. Pour in the dry white wine and let it bubble for 1–2 minutes, stirring, until the sharp alcohol smell cooks off and the liquid reduces slightly into a glossy sauce. Season lightly with salt.
    5. Add the drained linguine to the skillet along with a splash of the reserved pasta water, tossing well so the strands are coated and the sauce clings. Cook for about 1 minute more, adding more pasta water if it looks dry.
    6. Remove the skillet from the heat, then fold through the chopped flat-leaf parsley and torn basil leaves. Finish with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and taste for salt before serving.

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

Estimated based off 12 of 17 identified ingredients (per 100 g food data, scaled by amount).

Energy
343 cal
Protein
9.89 g
Carbohydrate
46.3 g
Fiber
3.29 g
Sugars
1.82 g
Sodium
1250 mg
Total fat
14.3 g
Saturated fat
2.01 g
Monounsaturated fat
9.88 g
Polyunsaturated fat
1.79 g
Vitamins & minerals
  • Calcium: 262 mg
  • Iron: 2.64 mg
  • Magnesium: 39.9 mg
  • Phosphorus: 231 mg
  • Potassium: 625 mg
  • Zinc: 1.67 mg

Let's Prepare

Collect

Gather these ingredients - no prep needed yet.

  • water
  • parsley stems
  • fresh thyme
  • 14.8 ml extra-virgin olive oil
  • 220 g linguine
  • 50 ml dry white wine
  • fresh basil leaves
  • 1 clams
  • 1 clam broth
  • 1 linguine

Prepare

  • 998 g fresh live clams, preferably the best seasonal variety available from your fishmonger
  • Salt, for purging the clams
  • clams, taken from the 1 kg above
  • 1 celery, roughly chopped
  • 2 clove garlic, lightly crushed
  • 44.4 ml extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for finishing
  • 2 clove garlic, thinly sliced
  • flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
  • 100 g cherry tomatoes preferably a mix of colours, preferably a mix of colours, halved
  • Salt, as needed

Let's Cook

  1. Step 1.

    Place the clams in a large bowl of cold, well-salted water and leave them to purge for about 30 minutes, or according to your fishmonger's recommendation. Lift the clams from the water rather than pouring everything through a colander; this leaves any released sand behind. Rinse well under cold running water. Discard any cracked clams and any open clams that don't close when firmly tapped.

  2. Step 2.

    Set aside 8–12 of the clams for the broth. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the celery, crushed garlic, parsley stems and thyme. Sweat gently for 2–3 minutes without allowing the garlic or vegetables to brown. Add the 8–12 reserved clams and 3–4 cups (750 ml–1 litre) of water. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook until the clams have opened and released their juices into the broth. Continue simmering briefly to allow the aromatics and clams to flavour the liquid. Strain the broth through a fine sieve into a clean saucepan; for particularly sandy clams, line the sieve with cheesecloth or a clean kitchen cloth. Discard the cooked clams and aromatics. Keep the broth hot over very low heat.

  3. Step 3.

    While the broth simmers, bring a large pot of salted water to the boil for the linguine. Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil in a large, wide sauté pan over medium heat. Add the sliced garlic and chopped parsley and cook gently until fragrant, about 1–2 minutes; don't allow the garlic to brown. Add the remaining clams and toss them through the aromatic oil. Increase the heat and let the clams begin to sweat. As they heat, the liquid trapped inside their shells cooks and is released into the pan as they open.

  4. Step 4.

    Add the white wine and increase the heat. Toss the clams and allow the wine to reduce briefly while the shells continue opening. As individual clams open, remove them to a bowl so they don't overcook. Cover and keep them warm. Discard any clams that remain firmly closed after cooking. Keep all of the liquid in the pan.

  5. Step 5.

    Add the linguine to the boiling water. Do not cook the linguine to al dente in the pasta water. Remove it approximately 3–4 minutes before the package's suggested al-dente cooking time. When you taste it, the centre should still be noticeably firm and undercooked. Reserve a little pasta water before draining.

  6. Step 6.

    Transfer the very undercooked linguine directly into the wide pan containing the clam liquor. Add a ladle or two of the hot homemade clam broth and turn the heat to medium-high or high. Toss the pasta continuously. As the linguine absorbs the broth, add more hot clam broth a little at a time. Treat this almost like finishing a risotto: add enough liquid for the pasta to continue cooking without drowning it. The goal is to have the linguine absorb as much clam flavour as possible during its final few minutes of cooking.

  7. Step 7.

    Continue tossing vigorously as the linguine approaches al dente. The starch released from the pasta will combine with the clam broth, natural clam liquor and olive oil, transforming the liquid into a glossy emulsion that coats every strand. If the pan becomes dry before the linguine is ready, add another splash of hot clam broth. Use reserved pasta water only if you need additional liquid after the broth. Taste before adding any salt. The clam liquor and broth may provide all the seasoning the dish needs. Return the cooked clams to the pan just long enough to heat them through.

  8. Step 8.

    Only once the linguine is cooked and the sauce has emulsified, add the halved cherry tomatoes. Toss them through the pasta for 30–60 seconds at most. The tomatoes aren't there to create a tomato sauce. You're simply taking the chill off them and warming them in the residual heat of the pasta. They should reach the plate fresh, intact and juicy.

  9. Step 9.

    Remove the pan from the heat. Add the fresh basil leaves and a generous drizzle of good extra-virgin olive oil. Toss everything together one final time. Serve immediately, spooning the glossy clam sauce from the bottom of the pan over each portion. There is no need for butter, cream or grated cheese. The sauce gets its richness entirely from the clam broth, clam liquor, pasta starch and olive oil.

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