Linguini with clams in a garlicky white wine clam sauce with fresh arugula pesto. Restaurant quality from the comfort of your own home!

We’ve always loved eating linguini + clams its so classic yet feels like such a treat when you order this dish at a restaurant. This is just one of those dishes that sounds elegant and seems complex to make but its actually one of the easiest dishes you can make at home when your craving pasta!

Perfectly cooked pasta with white wine clam sauce loaded with arugula pesto, its bright, fresh and light but has a comforting feel to it oh and its beautiful to look at. A great dish to enjoy on a beautiful warm sunny day!

We get it, cooking clams might seem daunting, but we promise they are so easy to cook. Clams cook similar to muscles, the only trick is that they don’t all open at the same time so once they have been steaming for 5 minutes you’ll have to keep an eye on them and pull them out as soon as they start to open. Its important to purge the clams in ice water for about 20 minutes before cooking to get the sand out and you’ll have to scrub them clean. Most places already scrub them clean for you so just a quick scrub to get any remaining dirt and sand off will do.

The best flavors come from the clam juice and mixed with the white wine and arugula pesto its nothing short of heavenly. One the sauce has reduced the key is getting all those delicious flavors to mingle with the pasta. Tossing the fresh pasta in the sauce and ensuring each linguini is coated in that delicious beautiful sauce will really tie everything together.

Another trick we recommend is cooking the pasta until it reaches almost al dente as it will finish cooking in the sauce.

Its honestly amazing how much flavor you get from the simplest ingredients.

Serve immediately with toasted garlic breadcrumbs sprinkled over top alongside some crusty bread.

Cheers!

@thecommunalfeast

Print Recipe

LINGUINI + CLAMS

Linguini with clams in a garlicky white wine clam sauce with fresh arugula pesto. Restaurant quality from the comfort of your own home!

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Total Time30 mins

Course: Date Night

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: 4 -5

Author: the communal feast

Ingredients

• 25 littleneck clams purged, scrubbed clean
• ½ lb linguini
• ½ cup dry white wine
• ½ cup cream
• Arugula pesto:
• 1 cup arugula
• ½ cup basil
• 5 cloves of garlic
• 1/3 cup garlic oil if you cant find garlic oil, mince your garlic and let soak in olive oil for a few minute
• ¼ cup pine nuts
• 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• Garnish:
• Toasted garlic breadcrumbs
• Pea shoots

Instructions

• 1. Start by making the arugula pesto: Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until you reach the right consistency. You may have to add a bit more oil to thin it out
• 2. Next fill a large pot with salted water and bring to a boil
• 3. In a shallow cast iron pan large enough to stir your pasta, heat half the white wine, once hot add the clams, cover and steam for 5 minutes. Keep an eye on the clams, they don’t all open at the same time so once they start to open remove them from the pan and place on a tea towel, keep warm.
• 4. Do not drain the pan. The clam juice will be used to flavor the sauce.
• 5. To the same pan add the remaining white wine and your arugula pesto -about 3-4 tablespoons. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 5 minutes
• 6. While the sauce reduces, cook your pasta according to instructions. You want to cook the pasta until almost al dente, slightly under.
• 7. Add the clams back into the pan and your cream. Stir to combine. Next using a spider or slotted spoon, scoop some of the pasta and transfer directly do your sauce. Do not rinse
• 8. Stir everything together coating the pasta in the sauce. If you find you need a bit more liquid add some pasta water
• 9. To place start by placing the pasta in the center of your bowl, next place the clams around the pasta, sprinkle with breadcrumbs and finish with pea shoots.
• Serve with crusty bread