This Garlicky Clams Linguine recipe is a simple 30-minute meal you can make at home. This restaurant-style meal is made of linguine pasta with clams coated in a buttery garlic sauce, tomatoes, and garden-fresh basil.
This delicious bowl of Garlicky Clams Linguine is simple and satisfying. Linguine with clams are tossed in butter with freshly picked basil and tomatoes. There is garlic with just the right amount of cracked black pepper and salt. This is summer pasta done right, whether you have been cooking for years or months, it’s a tasty cook-friendly, 30-minute meal.
Tips for Making this Garlicky Clams Linguine Perfect!
- Find the freshest clams possible. When it comes to seafood, you get what you pay for. Splurge on the clams, the rest of the recipe uses affordable ingredients. Don’t be afraid to ask the market how fresh the clams are or where they are from. The clams and their juice are an important part of the recipe so don’t let bad clams ruin it!
- Use ripe tomatoes with lots of flavor. If you want to elevate this recipe one step further, use heirloom tomatoes. You can also try assorted cherry tomatoes. Stop at your local farmers market and get to know what’s in season.
- Don’t skimp on the basil. While I suggest a 1/2 cup, it’s completely up to you. It cooks down in the heat so be sure to reserve some extra basil for tossing on before serving the linguine. Make sure you use an Italian basil and not Thai basil for this recipe.
- Don’t overcook your pasta. Mushy pasta changes the texture of a meal and won’t hold up well with the clams.
- A little salt and pepper is all you need. When you use simple and fresh ingredients, the salt and pepper should just be used to enhance those flavors, not be the star ingredient.
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb linguine pasta
- 2 lb fresh clams
- 8 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup sliced garlic
- 1 1/2 cup diced tomatoes
- 1/2 cup fresh shredded basil (use kitchen scissors for perfect shredding)
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 300ºF.
- Bring a large pot of water to a roiling boil and cook the linguine until it is al dente. Strain and set aside when finished.
- Place the clams on an oven sheet and bake them for 10 minutes. This makes opening the clams a breeze, they will be cracked open slightly when you remove them from the oven. Set the clams aside and allow them cool before you handle them.
- Prepare the butter sauce: add butter and garlic to a large skillet over a low heat.
- By now the clams should be cool enough to handle. Use a knife to gently pry open the rest of the shells, pour the juice into the skillet and the entire clam.
- Allow the sauce to simmer for a few minutes, then add in the tomatoes.
- Toss in the linguine and shredded basil.
- Mix in freshly cracked black pepper and salt to taste.
Notes
Home Chef Tip: Make sure your clams are clean before cooking with them! Generally they are cleaned before being sold, but don't chance ruining a meal by serving a gritty clam. Soak clams in a bowl with cold tap water for about an hour, the clams will push out any sand inside.
We hope you enjoy this Garlicky Clams Linguine recipe from SoFabFood Home Chef, Raquel from Horses and Heels, as much as we do. If you love this easy weeknight or date night meal, you can find more like it by visiting our 30-Minute Meals Section. For daily recipe inspiration, subscribe to our newsletter, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Pinterest. Enjoy!
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