Linguine alle Vongole (Linguine with Clams)

By Jessica Swartz April 6, 2023 34 mins read 212 Views

Linguine alle Vongole or Linguine with Clams in the US is spicy, briny and glistening with an irresistible aromatic sauce. This authentic Italian recipe will make it feel like you are at a fancy restaurant. It's actually one of the easiest Italian recipes, and it's quick enough to make for a quick weeknight meal.

Photo credit to Andrea Gralow

Linguine with Clams, an Italian pasta I adore, is something I would eat almost every day (if I had to choose one). It's best served with a Lemon Parmesan Lettuce Salad and crispy pieces of freshly baked focaccia.

What is Linguine alle vongole?

Linguine alle Vongole, a traditional Italian seafood dish, is very popular in the country. It's not surprising considering that the entire region is filled with the best seafood. It is almost a tradition to order Linguine alle Vongole whenever I go to a restaurant along the coast of Abruzzo where my family is from.

Linguine alle Vongole, a special treat for me when I'm close to the Adriatic Sea is something I love, but it's also a great recipe that I can make at home. This is one of my favorite dishes in Italian cuisine. As long as you keep it simple: less is more. This means that there is no cream, onion, lemon, or cheese.

You read that right. This delicious pasta recipe is also dairy-free. The fresh clams are cooked until they open in a white wine-garlic sauce. This releases their flavorful juices, creating a rich broth that coats the spaghetti. This sauce is known as al minuto sauce. It can be made in just a few moments.

To make Linguine alle Vongole authentic, you only need six ingredients: olive oil, garlic red pepper flakes parsley, fresh mussels, white wine, and parsley. These ingredients, especially the clams that should still be in their shells and not be canned, should be of the highest quality.

You don't have to be averse to cooking with fresh clams. The majority of clams available in the U.S. can be cleaned and cooked easily. Linguine alle Vongole will be amazed at the difference fresh clams can make.

Table of Contents

What is Linguine alle vongole?
Linguine alle Vongole Ingredients
How to make Linguine alle Vongole
Clams Recipe for Linguine
How to Choose and Buy the Best Clams
How to store fresh clams
What to serve with Linguine alle Vongole
More Amazing Seafood Recipes
Linguine with Clams Recipe

Linguine alle Vongole Ingredients

In less than an hour, you can make linguine with just a few ingredients. Here are the ingredients to make Linguine alle vongole

Fresh Clams: To make fresh clams, you'll need approximately 4 dozen small, live clams that are still in their shells, such as littleneck, Manila, or cockles. The most common clams, the littlenecks, are easily available and have a delicious meaty texture. The Manilas and cockles, while smaller and delicater than the cockles, have big flavor. All of them will be delicious!
Olive oil Use high-quality extra-virgin olive oils that taste fresh and vibrant like our Nocellara Italian EVOOO.
Garlic: It is enough to make one or two small cloves. It should not be the dominant flavor, but rather a supporting role to the clams.
Red pepper Flakes: To shake things up, add a generous pinch of about 1/2 teaspoon.
Dry white wine: Cooking wines don't need to be expensive but should taste good.
Linguine A one-pound box serves four people. Flat noodles make the sauce even more silky. This dish also makes great use of spaghetti; choose your favorite.
Parsley A sprinkle of fresh flat-leaf, brightly colored parsley gives the dish a bright, vibrant note and adds color.

Making Linguine Alle Vongole

It takes only a few steps to combine Linguine with Clams and it tastes delicious. The most important step is to soak the clams in salt water. This will "purge", remove any sand or grit. Nobody wants to eat a bowl full of gritty linguine alle Vongole.

Clean the clams. Scrub the clams in cold running water. To remove the grit from the outer shells, use a stiff brush. Place the clams in a large bowl. Cover them with cold water. Add enough salt to make a salty mixture. A good handful. Allow the clams to rest for between 15-30 minutes. Give them a gentle stir every now and again. Drain the clams and rinse them thoroughly to get rid of any extra debris. Do not worry if you have some grit. After steaming, filter the juice.
Steam the Clams: Place the clams in a large skillet or saute pan. Cover the clams with 2 tablespoons of water and place on medium heat. Within a few minutes, the clams should open. To prevent overcooking, you can open the lid occasionally and use tongs for any open clams. To distribute the clams, shake the pan and cook for 5-8 minutes. Any clams that aren't opened should be thrown out.
Separate the shells. Reserve a few clams in their shells, a minimum of 3 or 4, for garnish. When the remaining clams have been opened, remove the meat with a knife or spoon. Put the meat in a small bowl. Later, you will add the meat to the pasta.
Drain the clam juice. Some clam juice will remain in the pan after the steaming. Do not toss it This is the most important component of the clam sauce. A fine-mesh sieve should be lined with a damp towel. Otherwise, the clam juice will soak into the towel. Place the sieve on a bowl and pour the clam juice into it. The liquid should be kept aside
Start the pasta water boiling: Bring large saucepan of water to boil over medium heat. Add a bit of salt to the pasta water, but not too much since the clam juice can be salty.
Prepare the garlic. While the pasta water boils, heat a large skillet to cook the spaghetti on medium-low heat. Mix the olive oil, minced garlic and red pepper flakes. Stirring constantly, cook the garlic until softened and fragrant for about five minutes.
Pour the wine and clam liquid into a saucepan. Turn the heat up to medium-high. Let the wine simmer for a minute. Next, add the reserved clam liquid and the shucked oysters. Cook the clams until they are well combined and heated through, approximately 1 minute. Cover the pan and keep it warm.
Cook the spaghetti. Add the spaghetti to the boiling water. Stir the noodles until they are separated. Cook the noodles until they are al dente, about a minute to two minutes less than the suggested cooking time.
Add the pasta and sauce to the saucepan. When the spaghetti is still al dente turn off the heat under the clam sauce. Transfer the noodles to a skillet using tongs. Let them cook in the sauce for 1-2 minutes. To coat the noodles well, make sure you to toss them with the sauce.
Serve and finish: Once the pasta has been cooked to your liking, add the parsley to the bowl and mix everything again. Place the spaghetti in a warm serving bowl, a large platter or four small bowls. Garnish with the remaining clams from the shell. Serve right away.

The Best Clams for Linguine. Clams Recipe

This dish can be made with a variety of clams. Small clams are the best, as they tend to be the most tender and have the most flavor. (cherrystones can be too large).
Three of my favorite clams to make spaghetti alle vongole with are:

Littlenecks
Manila
Cockles

They are all tender and delicious. The most common are the littlenecks. Although they are a bit larger than Manilas and cockles, they are still tender and juicy.

How to Choose and Buy the Best Clams

The majority of clams you will find at supermarket seafood counters and fish markets are farmed. This means that they have less grit to wild clams.

Farmed clams make great spaghetti. They are more affordable, have been raised in clean water and have a mild flavor. Here are some things to look out for when purchasing fresh clams.

Live Clams should be kept in ice. They can be either loose or in bags that are buried in the ice. If the clams are in bags, make sure you check the tag. This will give you information such as the date of harvest, the origin and the "use by" date. Ask the fishmonger if the clams aren't in their bags or if you don’t see the tag.
Getting your Clams Home: Do not transport clams in tightly sealed bags or containers. Although it might seem counterintuitive, clams live in the ocean and require oxygen. To allow the clams air, transport them in a bag filled with ice.
Make sure you inspect each clam before buying. All hard clams such as littlenecks and Manilas should be securely closed at the time of purchase. To ensure that clams are intact, and have no cracked or chipped shells, sort them. This can be done by the fishmonger. When you return home, inspect the clams. Tap the counter lightly to close any open clams. They should close quickly. They should be thrown out if they remain open. Clams should smell like the ocean, fresh and briny. If they have a strong fishy smell, it is likely that they are not in their prime.

How to Keep Fresh Clams

Fresh clams should be purchased the day before you intend to cook them. Although they can be kept fresh for up to 24 hours, I prefer to cook them right away.

Place the clams in an ice-cube tray and cover them with a few ice cubes for short-term storage. To retain moisture, cover them with damp paper towels and place them in the fridge until you're ready to use them.

How to Serve Linguine alle Vongole

This pasta is great for entertaining, especially at a casual dinner party where everyone can dig in and spin their spaghetti. To awaken your taste buds, start with a refreshing Radicchio Salad.

Linguine alle Vongole is incomplete without a glass of vino.

Falanghina is my favorite wine pairing with this dish. It's a vibrant dry white with citrusy flavors from Campania, southern Italy. The minerality of the wine is a great complement to the briny clam sauce.

Desserts include Pizzicati (Italian Pinch Cookies), Cannoli, and Biscotti.

More Amazing Seafood Recipes

Easy Shrimp Scampi Recipe
Calamari recipe with Garlic-Lime Sauce
Cioppino Recipe (Seafood Stew)
Sauteed Mussels in Garlic White Wine Broth

Linguine with Clams

This classic Linguine alle Vongole has so many wonderful things! The silky spaghetti is dipped in a garlicky sauce and topped with tender, briny mussels. It's easy to cook clams. Follow these steps to make your spaghetti with fresh mussels in less than an hour.

Course Entree

Cuisine Italian

Diet Low Lactose

Prep time 30 minutes

Cook Time 20 Minutes

Total time 50 minutes

Servings

Calories 423.7 kcal

Author Domenica Maretti

Ingredients

2 approximately 4 dozen littlenecks, Manila or other small clams
Kosher, fine sea salt
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 large garlic clove, minced
A generous pinch of red pepper flakes (about 1/2 teaspoon).
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 pound linguine or spaghetti
2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Instructions

Clean the clams by placing them in a colander. Next, use a stiff brush to scrub the shells under cold water. Add 3 tablespoons salt to a large bowl. Allow them to soak for between 15 and 30 minutes. Stir them occasionally. Drain them in a colander, and rinse with cold water.
Start the pasta water: Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water up to a boil.
Steam the clams. Cover and place on medium heat. Cook the clams, stirring the pan every now and again, until they open, which can take anywhere from 5-8 minutes to depending on how large your clams are. If the clams take a while to open, discard them and let the rest cool.
Split the clams. Once they are cool enough for handling, place a few whole clams aside to garnish. Take the remaining clams out of their shells with a knife or spoon and place the meat in a bowl. Keep warm by covering both bowls.
Filter the clam juice. Line a fine mesh sieve using a damp towel. The filter will filter out any liquid left in the pan or skillet. Set aside.
To make the sauce, heat the olive oil, garlic and red pepper flakes in a large skillet. To soften the garlic, turn the heat up to medium-low. Stir frequently for five minutes.
Mix the wine with the water. Turn the heat up to medium high to allow the wine to simmer for one minute. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring in the reserved clam juice. Cover the pan and keep it warm.
Cook the spaghetti. Boil the pasta for about 2 minutes less than the package recommends.
Mix the sauce with the pasta. Toss the pasta on low heat. If necessary, add a splash of water to loosen the sauce. The noodles will absorb the liquid and become silky when they are done cooking.
Garnish the pasta and serve. Place the pasta in a large, warm serving bowl or in individual bowls. Top each bowl with the reserved clams from the shell. Serve right away.

Notes

Check the clams 2 minutes after steaming to avoid overcooking. To transfer any clams that have been opened to a bowl, use tongs.
At least 1 cup of strained clam juice should be used. You can always add some pasta cooking water later if you don't have enough clam liquid.
You can drain pasta with a strainer, or tongs, but you must also set aside 1 cup pasta's cooking water prior to draining.
To browse high-quality Mediterranean ingredients such as olive oils, honey and jams, visit the shop

Nutrition

Carbohydrates: 58g

Linguine alle Vongole, Linguine with Clams appeared first on The Mediterranean Dish.

By: Domenica Marchetti
Title: Linguine alle Vongole (Linguine with Clams)
Sourced From: www.themediterraneandish.com/linguine-alle-vongole-linguine-with-clams/
Published Date: Thu, 06 Apr 2023 15:23:21 +0000

Frequently Asked Questions

Can the Mediterranean Diet be gluten-free?

Yes, the Mediterranean Diet can be adapted to be gluten-free. It is possible to incorporate gluten-free grains into your meals, instead of whole-grain carbohydrates such as barley or wheat. You should also include fresh fruits, such as melon and pear, legumes, nuts and seeds, in your diet. For added protein sources such as dairy, choosing lactose-free products is sometimes beneficial for individuals intolerant to milk and gluten. Some other ideas that may help could include having porridge instead of oats for breakfast, opting for baked salmon with potatoes or a bean soup for lunch rather than sandwiches on wheat bread, or roasting vegetables with herbs for dinner!

Can I use regular oil instead of extra Virgin Olive Oil?

You can choose regular olive oil over extra virgin olive if you follow the Mediterranean diet. Extra Virgin Olive Oil, (EVOO), has a higher quality, more nutritional benefits, and a milder flavor. Regular olive oil, however, is still an option. Regular olive oils are great for everyday meals like roasting vegetables or making stir-fry dishes. This option has a lower price point than EVOO, and some say it may be better suited to higher heat applications such as deep frying. However, remember that it does not contain the same nutrients or positive compounds as EVOO, so try to make up for these benefits in other parts of your diet whenever possible.

Can the Mediterranean Diet even be vegetarian?

Yes, vegetarians can follow the Mediterranean Diet. To follow this eating pattern, vegetarians can avoid meat, poultry, and fish. For protein, they could opt for plant-based sources such as legumes and nuts. This is the Mediterranean Diet's mainstay. If needed, you can add healthy fats such olive oil, olives and avocados to make up the difference. Alternate dairy sources, such as soy yogurt or tofu, can be used to supplement the diet. Other ideas include adding nuts and seeds to salads or bowls, mashing beans on toast, substituting ice cream for frozen banana slices, or serving hummus with vegetables throughout the day.

Is the Mediterranean diet primarily plant-based?

Yes, the Mediterranean Diet is primarily plant-based. The Mediterranean Diet is primarily plant-based. This includes fruits, vegetables and legumes as well as nuts and seeds. Red meat, poultry, and fish can also be found in smaller amounts due to their provenance around the Mediterranean Sea. For those who choose to live a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle, these protein sources may be avoided. Other dairy sources, such as tofu and soy yogurt, are great alternative options for added nutrition and protein.

Is milk okay for the Mediterranean diet

Yes, milk is permitted on the Mediterranean diet. Dairy products such as low-fat yogurt and cheese are an important part of this diet, providing calcium and other key nutrients. You should include milk in your daily diet, as well as other drinks like tea and coffee. You can make delicious dishes with milk, such as oatmeal or smoothies. For sustainable farming practices to be promoted when buying milk, it is best to use organic varieties. Add milk to your breakfast dishes such as smoothie bowls and avocado toast to ensure you get essential vitamins, minerals, and a balanced start every day.

How can I lose weight using the Mediterranean diet

Yes, it is possible to lose weight while following the Mediterranean Diet. Because the diet focuses on whole foods like vegetables, fruits, legumes, and olive oil, it can reduce calories and provide vital nutrients for your overall health and well-being. Incorporating exercise into your diet can help to lose excess calories and aid in weight loss. A positive mindset, coupled with a reduction in processed foods, red-meat consumption, and sugar intake, can help to maintain a healthy body weight.

Statistics

Benefits of Replacing foods high in saturated fats (like butter) with plant sources high in monounsaturated fatty acids, like olive oil, may help lower the risk of heart disease by 19 percent, according to research. (everydayhealth.com)
1g sugar Benefits Rich in heart-healthy polyunsaturated fats, these nuts may also favourably impact your gut microbiome (and thus improve digestive health) and lower LDL cholesterol, according to a small study that included 18 healthy adults. (everydayhealth.com)
The research suggested that the diet reduced the risk of cardiovascular issues, including stroke, heart attack, and death, by about 30 percent compared with the control group. (medicalnewstoday.com)
The Mediterranean Diet group had a 30% lower relative risk of cardiovascular events compared to the low-fat diet group. (my.clevelandclinic.org)

External Links

How To

How to Adopt a Mediterranean Diet for a Healthier Lifestyle

The Mediterranean Diet, a dietary pattern that is inspired by traditional Mediterranean cuisines, is based on the Mediterranean Sea's traditional cuisines. It emphasizes healthy fats. Whole grains, legumes, fresh fruits and veggies. The diet also includes moderate intakes of eggs, white meat, milk products, and red wines. The regular intake of plant-based foods, such as legumes or nuts, is a key feature of this diet. It's rich in nutrients, including vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and plant protein. These foods have been shown to be beneficial for heart health.

The Mediterranean diet has many health benefits. It can help you live longer and have better quality of life. Evidence also suggests possible beneficial effects on weight management and cardiovascular diseases. In addition to its health benefits on body composition and overall health status to chronic disease prevention, it promotes eating habits involving socializing around meals that help minimize food cravings at random times throughout the day or night. Finally, including lots of averagely vigorous physical activity throughout your day, such as walking or biking to work and taking the stairs instead of the elevator, can further increase the health benefits of this lifestyle.

You can adopt a Mediterranean diet and eat more fruits and vegetables for your snacks, meals, sides, and main dishes. Instead of eating refined grains, choose whole-grain options such as brown rice, quinoa and oats. For proteins, including more fish, beans, and nuts in your diet. Use olive oil as your primary cooking fat and herbs and spices to season food instead of salt. Limit your intake of dairy products, such as yogurt, cheese, or milk. Enjoy a glass of red wines on occasion, to round out the Mediterranean diet.

Changes to your daily meal plan will take time and effort. However, there are some tips to help you make the transition to a healthier lifestyle. You can also learn to add variety to your diet by learning how spices and other sources are derived from fruits, vegetables, and nuts. This will allow you not get bored with the same foods. Last but not the least, incorporate grains, legumes, high-fiber items, which can increase satiety following meals.

Mediterranean eating encourages you and your family to enjoy good food, as well as the enjoyment of cooking. For a more balanced diet, it is possible to make small changes in your daily intake of whole foods. This diet can provide potential health benefits including improved quality of life and longer life span.