Linguine with Clam Sauce is one of my favorite meals. I often order it when we’re out at an Italian restaurant, and I make it at home, too, but with a canned sauce. This was my first go at making it on my own, and it was actually really easy and tasted SO much better!
It’s a two-pot dish, one for the clams and sauce and one for the pasta, and there are a few steps here but it’s not difficult at all. Read through the whole recipe before you get started.
We finished it off with a drizzle of EVOO to bring it all together. Here’s the recipe:
- Approximately 5 tablespoons Capatriti Extra Virgin Olive Oil (divided)
- 9 cloves garlic, divided
- 50 littleneck clams, cleaned and rinsed
- 1 cup white wine (I used Sauvignon Blanc)
- ½ cup water
- 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes (see note)
- 1 lb. linguine
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, chopped
- 2 tablespoons oregano, chopped
- ½ cup shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (optional)
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat in a saucepan that has a lid. Add 5 cloves of crushed garlic (just smash them, no need to chop).
- Cook until the garlic is aromatic and turns golden brown, then discard the garlic. You are just flavoring the oil.
- Add the wine and water to the flavored oil and half of the clams (just eyeball it). Cover the pan and bring to a low boil, cooking about 10 minutes until the clam shells open.
- Remove the clams from the pan and allow the liquid to continue to cook at a slow bubble to reduce. Meanwhile, remove the cooked clams from the shells. Save the clams, discard the shells.
- Pour the cooking liquid into a measuring cup and reserve it.
- Use the same saucepan, again add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add two of the remaining cloves of garlic, smashed, and cook until browned and aromatic.
- While that garlic is cooking, heat a large pot of salted water and bring to a boil. Once it boils, cook the linguine just short of being done (about 1 minute less than what the package directs). You'll finish it in the clam cooking liquid.
- After your garlic has browned, remove it from the oil and discard it. Add the remaining two cloves of garlic, chopped, to the oil. Then add the remaining clams and the reserved cooking liquid. Be careful not to pour in any sediment that might have settled to the bottom. Just discard that.
- Cover the pan and cook until the clams open. Once they are open, remove them from the pan and place in a dish to stay warm. I put them in a metal bowl covered with aluminum foil.
- Add the butter and the cooked clams you removed from their shells to the saucepan and stir until melted.
- Bring the liquid to a boil and add the drained pasta and fresh herbs. Toss with tongs to combine and cook for a few minutes until the pasta is completely done and the sauce begins to thicken.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the cheese if using. Add the cooked clams that are still in their shells to the top of the dish.
- Finish with a drizzle of olive oil, about a tablespoon (just eyeball it).
This easily made 6 servings so it would be a nice dish to serve if you had company. I really like that the entire meal is in one pot. And it’s got amazing flavor with the red pepper flakes, clams, and EVOO. This is the perfect dish for a fancy meal like an anniversary dinner or Valentine’s Day celebration!
Kris I. says
I love making linguini and oil with garlic, tomatoes and black olives!!
Sarah Hall says
I like to put Olive Oil on my bread before I put it in the oven to toast or put it on my pasta for flavor.
Rust says
I drizzle it on veggies when I roast them.
Audra O'Hara says
I use olive oil for so many things! One of my favorite is homemade marinara sauce with fresh tomatoes from our garden. A good olive oil makes a lot of difference in taste.
Jennifer Figueroa says
I like to make homemade Salad Dressing with Olive Oil. Thanks for educating us on the
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Mary W says
I like using olive oil in homemade dressings.
jeanette sheets says
i use to fry my chicken breast in
Susan P. says
I use EVOO on a caprese salad with fresh mozzarella, tomato and basil leaves.
Seyma Shabbir says
My favorite use is for a eggplant salad. I grill the eggplant and then scoop out the eggplant and add chopped red onions, tomatoes, parsley, olive oil, salt pepper and lemon.
MaryB says
I love using olive oil as a dipping sauce for bread with balsamic vinegar and for homemade salad dressings.
latanya says
in salad dressings
Lauren says
I like to make my own salad dressing.
Karla says
I like to make pasta and chicken dishes with olive oil.
Rosie says
I like to make homemade lemon pepper pasta, and I love tossing it with olive oil and parmesean!
Annamarie V says
I love to put a little olive oil in a pan add some walnuts, broccoli and eggplant some really good seasoning and that is one of my favorite meals.
Dana Rodriguez says
I use EVOO in everything. I have pretty much eliminated vegetable oil.
Kristen says
I like to use it in stir fry.
Margot C says
I love to cook or roast vegetables in olive oil. I probably do it almost every single day!
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Edye says
I like putting it in salads!
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Teresa Kunberger says
I like to cook with it!
Tina W says
I love using a really good olive oil when I make pesto.
Nadine Stacy says
It’s the type of oil I use in all my salad dressings.
Laura Bowe says
I use EVOO a lot and some of those ways are frying up onions and peppers to put on sandwiches or burgers, I love drizzling it over chicken and adding Italian spices.
Laurie Nykaza says
I use olive oil in baking and also when I cook fish and many other items like coating the meats I cook and season.I make with it too. I use it 5 times a week
Hargow Wong says
My favorite use for extra virgin olive oil is making salad dressing.
Jeanna says
My favorite use for Olive Oil is to use it when making my homemade salad dressing!
Sara Theissen says
I love using EVOO to grill vegetables in foil!
carol clark says
making salad dressing and roll my biscuits in
Alyssa says
We love Capatriti!
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Angela Saver says
My favorite use for extra virgin olive oil is to make salad dressings! Thanks for an awesome giveaway!
Jen H says
I cook with it daily! and it makes a nice soap!
Christine Jensen says
I love EVOO for making Bruchetta
Mita says
I like in salad dressings
Jenny S says
I feel like it’s mandatory when making anything Italian. All pastas. I use it to sauté veggies. I always have it on hand.
Melissa Storms says
I love the taste of olive oil in salad in homemade salad dressing.
Ty says
We love using it on pasta and when roasting vegetables.
Fiona N says
I love olive, and would use extra virgin olive oil daily to make salads, or making food for my little one
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laura says
I love using olive oil to make kale chips
Julie Lundstrom says
I use oil for my salads and pasta dishes.
Nicole Sender says
I like to use olive oil on salads and for stir frys!
Shannon Oneill says
I love to use olive oil to saute mushrooms..
Nora | OfRecipes says
I love your take on linguine and clam! I’ll need to give this one a try.
Cheryl B says
I like to make my own salad dressing. Using fresh herbs and olive oil.
cheryl s says
sprinkled on veggies with parmesan cheese
Debbie Yoder says
I use it to saute my veggies
Heather D says
I use Olive Oil in a lot of recipes. I use it to saute meat in various dishes for my husband.
Stefanie G says
I love to use olive oil when cooking, chicken, shrimp, anything!
Leslie says
Drizzle some on top of my homemade hummus. Thanks for the chance to win!
Jessica To says
We like it in a salad dressing or when we make vegetables.
Starla says
Well, naturally I use it on almost everything. I love making a homemade vinaigrette dressing and I love to cook my meat and veggies in it. Also, mixed with fresh herbs is great for bread dipping!
Jessica Whitehouse says
My sister makes a vinegarette salad dressing for the holidays. It’s good for a cucumber and tomato salad.
Birdiebee says
I use olive for almost everything but love to make a dips for dipping bread when having company over.
Janice Leaf says
My hubby and I use it on most everything. Stir frying vegetables is my favorite .
Belinda M says
My favorite use for olive oil is adding it to vegetables that I am cooking. Green beans and a mixed vegetable bake are my two favorites.
Madonna says
We only cook with olive oil and I use it for a ton of stuff such as herbal remedies. I always buy the giant bottle because we use so much.
Jennifer Rote says
I use olive oil to prepare (fry) my diced chicken.
Lily Kwan says
drizzling on pasta