Linguine alle vongole or linguine with clams is a quintessential summery Italian pasta recipe. Al dente linguine with a white wine sauce of garlic, fresh clams, lemon zest and more. This particular recipe differs a bit from the traditional recipe, as I infuse saffron threads into the wine sauce with some butter, to make a luxurious finished pasta dish! I imagine myself enjoying a dish like this at a waterfront restaurant on the coast of Italy, with a crisp glass of wine. Delicious!
It's no surprise that I love pasta and seafood, a lot. And I love them together just as much as I do on their own. This dish is the perfect marriage of the two. I am definitely not claiming this as an authentic Italian recipe, since I put my own twist on it, but I really do think you will love my version of this pasta with clams recipe.
🎥 Watch the video of this recipe
🍝 Why you'll love this Linguine with Clams recipe
- A new take on the classic!
- Surprisingly easy recipe
- The best way to enjoy clams!
🥘 What you need for this recipe
Ingredients and Substitutions:
- Linguine Pasta - Another long pasta is fine here too, but linguine or spaghetti works best.
- Fresh Clams - I used Manila clams for this recipe, but littleneck clams work great too. I would not use canned clams.
- Dry White Wine - Something like a pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc. Cooking wine is fine too. For non alcoholic, use low sodium chicken stock.
- Saffron Threads - Expensive, but you only need a small pinch! Don't skimp on these!
- Garlic - As always, fresh minced garlic is the best for this dish.
- Red Pepper Flakes - For a little added kick, use as much or as little as you choose.
- Olive Oil - Since this is an Italian dish, use a good quality olive oil!
- Butter - This isn't traditional, but it will give a nice lushness to the sauce!
Tools and Equipment:
- Large pot
- Medium/Large Pan
- Kitchen shears
- Sharp knife
- Cutting board
📋 How to make Linguine with Clams
Step 1: Prepare Ingredients & Purge Clams
Begin by prepping all ingredients. First, rinse off the clams as best as you can. Then, fill a large bowl with cold water and about ¼ cup or so of kosher salt. Mix, then add clams, ensuring all clams are covered by water. Place bowl in fridge for about 30 minutes while prepping other ingredients.
Finely mince all cloves of garlic, zest and juice lemons, and do any other necessary prep.
After 30 minutes the bowl of clams and water should have some dirt or sand in it. Drain the clams and rinse thoroughly.
Step 2: Make the Clam Sauce
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Salt the water with about 1 tablespoon of kosher salt. Cook linguine until al dente according to package directions. Drain pasta and reserve about a cup of pasta water.
Add saffron threads to a small bowl, then pour about ¼ cup of hot pasta water over threads and allow to steep.
In a deep skillet or pan, heat olive oil over medium low heat. Add minced garlic and stir gently until garlic is fragrant and soft. Avoid browning or burning garlic. Add red pepper flakes and lemon zest, stir.
Gently add the cleaned clams to the sauce. Arrange them in a single layer and then add the wine to the pan off of the heat. Return to the stove and cover pot. Steam for a couple of minutes, until all clams have opened up. If there are any unopened clams after about 5 minutes, discard those.
Once all clams are opened, use a pasta spider or a spatula to remove clams and place in a clean bowl. Carefully take clams out of the shells for about ¾ of the clams. Place un-shelled clams in a separate bowl.
Let the sauce continue simmering on medium high heat until it reduces by about ¼. Add the unshelled clams back to the simmering clam sauce. Add the saffron water, including the threads, to the sauce. Whisk in cold butter in cubes until emulsified and slightly creamy.
Step 3: Finishing Touches
Add the cooked pasta to the pan of clam sauce. Gently toss to combine until the pasta is fully coated. If needed, add some of the pasta cooking water to thin the sauce. This may not be necessary.
Squeeze a bit of lemon juice to the pasta and toss to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
Plate the hot pasta in a bowl, then garnish with the clams that remain in the shells. Add about 4-6 clam shells per pasta dish.
Garnish with finely chopped chives or fresh parsley and another squeeze of lemon if desired.
💭 Expert Tips & Tricks
- Don't be intimidated by the clams. After purging, they are very easy to cook! The clams will release a bit of salty clam juice while cooking, so the need to reduce the liquid is important.
- If you are looking to re-use the saffron threads, it is fine to just use the saffron liquid, then dry out the threads and re-use. They will not be as flavorful, but can still be reused!
- For a dish like this, dry pasta is heavily preferred. As much as I love fresh pasta, it doesn't work very well here, as the bite from dry pasta is needed.
Storage & Reheating Tips:
- Store in the Fridge: Wait until the pasta comes to room temperature and store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 4-5 days.
- Store in the Freezer: Store in a freezer-safe airtight container for up to about 3 months.
- How to Reheat: Always inspect leftovers for impurities or mold by using your eyes and nose. Reheat by adding to a nonstick pan with a dash of olive oil over medium heat until heated through.
Recipe FAQs
Pasta alle vongole goes great with a light side like a grilled vegetable dish or a green salad.
If you can't drink or don't have any wine for the sauce, replace it with a low-sodium chicken, vegetable, or seafood stock.
I don't recommend using canned clams over fresh clams. However, if you really want to amp up the clam flavor, you can add some canned clams to the sauce, but don't replace the fresh clams.
Related Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Linguine with Clams in a Saffron Sauce (Vongole Recipe)
Ingredients
- 8 oz Linguine or other long pasta.
- 1½ lbs Fresh Clams manila or littleneck
- ¼ cup Dry white wine
- 6 cloves Garlic
- ¼ cup Olive Oil
- 1 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes more or less as desired
- ½ teaspoon Saffron Threads more or less as needed
- 2-3 tablespoon Butter
- 1 teaspoon Lemon zest
- Salt & Pepper
Instructions
- Begin by prepping all ingredients. First, rinse off the clams as best as you can. Then, fill a large bowl with cold water and about ¼ cup or so of kosher salt. Mix, then add clams, ensuring all clams are covered by water. Place bowl in fridge for about 30 minutes while prepping other ingredients.
- Finely mince all cloves of garlic, zest and juice lemons, and do any other necessary prep.
- After 30 minutes the bowl of clams and water should have some dirt or sand in it. Drain the clams and rinse thoroughly.
- Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Salt the water with about 1 tablespoon of kosher salt. Cook linguine until al dente according to package directions. Drain pasta and reserve about a cup of pasta water.
- Add saffron threads to a small bowl, then pour about ¼ cup of hot pasta water over threads and allow to steep.
- In a deep skillet or pan, heat olive oil over medium low heat. Add minced garlic and stir gently until garlic is fragrant and soft. Avoid browning or burning garlic. Add red pepper flakes and lemon zest, stir.
- Gently add the cleaned clams to the sauce. Arrange them in a single layer and then add the wine to the pan off of the heat. Return to the stove and cover pot. Steam for a couple of minutes, until all clams have opened up. If there are any unopened clams after about 5 minutes, discard those.
- Once all clams are opened, use a pasta spider or a spatula to remove clams and place in a clean bowl. Carefully take clams out of the shells for about ¾ of the clams. Place un-shelled clams in a separate bowl.
- Let the sauce continue simmering on medium high heat until it reduces by about ¼. Add the unshelled clams back to the simmering clam sauce. Add the saffron water, including the threads, to the sauce. Whisk in cold butter in cubes until emulsified and slightly creamy.
- Add the cooked pasta to the pan of clam sauce. Gently toss to combine until the pasta is fully coated. If needed, add some of the pasta cooking water to thin the sauce. This may not be necessary.
- Squeeze a bit of lemon juice to the pasta and toss to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
- Plate the hot pasta in a bowl, then garnish with the clams that remain in the shells. Add about 4-6 clam shells per pasta dish.
- Garnish with finely chopped chives or fresh parsley and another squeeze of lemon if desired.
Notes
- Don't be intimidated by the clams. After purging, they are very easy to cook! The clams will release a bit of salty clam juice while cooking, so the need to reduce the liquid is important.
- If you are looking to re-use the saffron threads, it is fine to just use the saffron liquid, then dry out the threads and re-use. They will not be as flavorful, but can still be reused!
- For a dish like this, dry pasta is heavily preferred. As much as I love fresh pasta, it doesn't work very well here, as the bite from dry pasta is needed.
Alexis says
Another favorite! I made last week and it was such a hit- making it again this evening. Wonderful flavors and refreshingly light. A delightful dish.
Brittany says
It's really good but definitely a lot spicier than I anticipated. I did double the recipe, so that might have affected things. I would make again with less red pepper flakes.