An easy and (mostly) pantry pasta dinner. This spicy clam and tomato linguine is the perfect recipe for nights when you want a lot of flavor without a lot of effort.
An easy and (almost) effortless spicy tomato sauce with clams and linguine.
I’ve been on a huge clam pasta kick. It’s what I want to order when I go out to eat, and I’ve just been craving it for some reason! I’ve made it a few times at home, but it never quite hit the way the restaurant versions did. But I’ve finally landed on a red clam sauce that I just love. It’s spicy, savory, and so flavorful. Tomato paste gives it a good thickness that coats each piece of pasta perfectly. It’s a really nice pantry recipe to have in your back pocket for nights when inspiration is low, but you still want the comfort of a home-cooked meal.
What you need
- Sauce: The sauce is made with just shallot, garlic, anchovies, fresh cherry tomatoes (or use a can of cherry tomatoes or a can of crushed tomatoes), chopped clams, parsley, and lemon juice.
- Pasta: Linguine is a classic pasta for clams, but you could also do spaghetti or rigatoni if you like a tubular pasta.
How to make it
Step 1: Make the sauce.
Sauté shallot and garlic in olive oil until softened, then add the anchovies and mash them into a paste. Add crushed red pepper and cherry tomatoes, and sauté briefly before adding the tomato paste and sautéing until it deepens in color. Finish with the reserved clam juice and a bit of water. Simmer until thickened, about 20 to 30 minutes.
Step 2: Boil the pasta.
As the sauce simmers, boil the pasta according to package directions and drain, reserving a bit of pasta water.
Step 3: Finish the sauce.
Add the chopped clams, minced parsley, and lemon juice to the sauce and simmer briefly. Finish with the cooked pasta, adding pasta water if needed to loosen up the sauce and help coat each piece of linguine.
Step 4: Serve it up!
Transfer the clam linguine to a large serving platter and finish with a pinch of fresh parsley.
Spicy Clam and Tomato Linguine
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 shallot (peeled and minced)
- 6 cloves garlic (peeled and minced)
- 6 anchovy filets
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper (more or less to taste)
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes (or use a (14.5-ounce) can of cherry or crushed tomatoes; see Note 1)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 (6.5-ounce) cans chopped clams (drained; clam juice reserved)
- ½ cup water
- 12 ounces linguine
- ½ cup Italian parsley (loosely packed and minced; a pinch reserved for garnish)
- ½ lemon (juiced; yielding about 1½ tablespoons lemon juice)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Start the red clam sauce:
- Heat 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil in a wide pot over medium heat. Once hot, add the shallot and garlic and sauté for 3 minutes until softened, being careful not to burn the garlic. Add the anchovy filets and sauté for 1 minute, mashing the anchovies into a paste. Season with 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper.
- Add the cherry tomatoes and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the skins begin to soften. Add the tomato paste and stir to coat. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until the paste begins to stick to the pot and deepens in color.
Simmer the sauce:
- Pour in the reserved clam juice (about 1 cup) along with ½ cup water. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 20 to 30 minutes until the sauce reduces and thickens. Lightly crush the tomatoes into the sauce. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Make the pasta:
- As the sauce simmers, bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the linguine and cook according to package instructions. Reserve ¼ cup pasta water and drain the pasta.
Finish the clam sauce:
- Add the reserved chopped clams, minced parsley, and lemon juice to the sauce and stir to coat. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the cooked linguine and toss to coat, adding the pasta water if needed to loosen up the sauce and coat the linguine (you may not need it). Taste and season with salt and pepper. Turn off the heat.
To serve:
- Transfer the linguine and clam sauce to a large serving platter and finish with the reserved minced parsley. Enjoy!
