Linguine with New England Clam Sauce

Lovers of Italian food and shellfish have probably tried dozens of variations on the classic Linguine con Vongole, better known as Linguine with Clam Sauce.  I've tried several styles of this perennial favorite, but after an on-the-fly experiment, my method of choice is to prepare it using New England's famous steamers.  I like to call it "Linguine with New England Clam Sauce."



Soft-shell clams steaming

For my readers who have never visited New England, "steamers" are our colloquial term for soft-shell clams, which are traditionally steamed in their shells, then served with clam broth and melted butter.  Diners pull the clams from their shells, dunk them in the broth to rinse away any leftover sand, then slosh them in the butter, which is sometimes seasoned with garlic or wine. 

I would have never thought to use steamers in linguine and clam sauce until my old roommate, who loves clams so much I'm surprised she doesn't grind them up and snort them, came home with a plastic container full of steamers that were left over after a BBQ she had attended.  Instead of letting the host throw them away, she packed them up and said, "My roommate will be able to do something with these."  So she gave me the cooked clams and said, "Feed me."  (I'm paraphrasing - the conversation wasn't that brief)



Cooked steamers

Having just made a batch of fresh pasta, the first thing I thought of was to turn the steamers into clam sauce.  I poured the broth through a strainer and into a pot and reduced it, adding lots of garlic and some chile flakes.  Realizing that I had no parsley, which is the herb traditionally used in Linguine with Clam Sauce, I decided to experiment with the fresh tarragon I had on hand.  I minced up about a tablespoon and added it to the reduced clam broth, and I was pleased with the spicy depth that it added.  I served the sauce over the fresh pasta, and the end result is one of my most memorable creations. 

In more recent versions, I've added fresh parsley as well - I find that it brightens up the flavor a bit.  Pair this with a crisp, acidic white wine, and enjoy it outdoors while the sun is still shining - it's New England pasta perfection! 


Linguine with New England Clam Sauce

2 lbs. live steamer clams
1 T. fresh tarragon (or 1 t. dried)
2 cups dry white wine
1/4 - 1/2 t. red chile flakes
1 large or 2 small cloves garlic, smashed
1 lb. linguine
1 T. minced parsley
generous splash olive oil
1/4 stick butter

Place the wine, tarragon, and chile flakes in a large pot.  Heat to a boil, then add the clams.  Cover, then cook until all of the clams have opened.  Discard any that do not open. 

Using a slotted spoon, remove the clams from the broth.  Reserve the broth and set both the broth and the clams aside to cool.  Once the clams are cook enough to touch, clean them by removing the clam from its shell, then peel the wrinkly black membrane from the "neck" of the clam.  Discard the membrane and return the cleaned clams, along with the smashed garlic clove(s), to the cooled broth (don't add the clams while the broth is still hot, or the clams will continue to cook and become tough).  Refrigerate the clams in broth for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight - this allows for the garlic flavor to penetrate the clams. 

After the clams have marinated in the broth, remove them from the broth again.  Set the clams aside, and in a large, heavy-bottomed pot, heat the broth until it has almost reached a boil.  Add the parsley, olive oil, and butter, then reduce heat to medium-low and cook until the broth is reduced by about half.  In the meantime, cook the pasta. 

Once the sauce has reduced, add the cooked pasta and the reserved clams to the pot.  Cook for another minute or so, stirring until each strand of pasta is coated.  Because the clam broth is naturally salty, you will probably not need to add any additional salt, but you may want to add a grind or two of black pepper.  Serve hot, topped with a drizzle of olive oil.