Home Cooks Online

A very basic, very Italian simple recipe by Guest Author Helen Kenney Poore.

I wasn't able to post last week since I was busy entertaining guests for the last several weeks.  The good news is most of my guests are chefs, 3 of them professional ones, so I was able to enjoy some very good cooking and get some very easy recipes to share here with you (although, since I was not cooking I had dish duty and my hands are a mess). 

I've made linguine with clams many times, but never have I had it as good as this recipe which comes from our friend Enrico who is here visiting from Rome.  The secret?  Drizzle olive oil over the dish just before serving.  Who would have thought?  Enrico says that olive oil loses it's flavor if brought to a high heat for a long period of time, so this dish has little olive oil in the main sauce.  Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Linguine and White Clam Sauce - Enrico Style!

• 
  

  1 can of baby clams (not minced)



• 
  

  20 to 30 fresh little neck clams



• 
  

  2 cloves of garlic (minced)



• 
  

  1 cup of dry white wine



• 
  

  1/4 cup olive oil for sauce, more for drizzling over finished dish



• 
  

  parsley (fresh if possible)



• 
  

  pepper



• 
  

  grated Parmesan cheese (optional)



• 
  

  3/4 box of linguine (cooked al dente)

heat olive oil in large sauté pan (not too hot though) and add garlic.  Lightly "blond" garlic, not browned. Add can of clams with juice, parsley and fresh pepper.  Simmer for a few minutes and add white wine. Meanwhile, prepare linguine in boiling water.  Wash fresh clams very well and add them on top of the sauce, cover until clams open. Once clams open, remove and set aside.  Add cooked pasta to the sauce and sauté for one minute to blend.   Serve pasta in shallow bowls and add 6 to 8 fresh clams on top.  Drizzle with olive oil, add cheese and serve. Makes 4 servings.