This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy.
My linguine with clam sauce pairs al dente pasta with savory clams in a simple yet elegant white wine garlic sauce. It’s the fanciest, easiest dish you’ll make all week.
Want more seafood recipes? Try my pan-seared monkfish, baked sockeye salmon, or seafood boil next.
Whenever my family and I go out for Italian, I judge the quality of the restaurant by how they make their linguine with clams.
That’s because it’s so simple that it’s easy to overcomplicate. In truth, its delicate flavor comes down to a small handful of basic ingredients, and the preparation couldn’t be more straightforward.
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- It’s easier than you think. Clams can be intimidating if you’ve never cooked them before, but after you try my recipe, you’ll be making it on the regular!
- Restaurant-worthy. Everyone will think you spent hours perfecting this dish, but only you will know just how effortless it was.
- Options to customize. Just about every ingredient can be customized to put your own spin on it.
- Alcohol-free option. If you don’t want to cook with wine, you don’t have to!
Ingredients needed
- Clams. Preferably fresh and in their shells.
- Noodles. Dried linguine is best, though you can swap it for fettucini in a pinch.
- Garlic and shallot. Two essential aromatics.
- Oil. I prefer extra-virgin olive oil, but any neutral cooking oil will work.
- Butter. A key component to the sauce. Unsalted butter is best as it allows you to better control the amount of salt added.
- Red pepper flakes. For a touch of spice. Add as much as you want, or skip it to make a spice-less dish.
- White wine. Another essential ingredient for the sauce. Stick with a dry white wine (like Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio). If you’d rather not cook with wine, use equal portions of chicken broth or fish broth.
- Italian seasoning. To add essential Italian flavor.
- Salt and black pepper. Added to taste.
- Parsley. Fresh and finely chopped for garnish.
How to make linguine with clam sauce
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Clean the clams. Soak the clams in water for several minutes, then rinse them and clean each one with a brush. Discard clams with broken shells.
Step 2- Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, add the pasta and cook to al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving one cup of pasta water.
Step 3- Sauté aromatics. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the garlic and shallots and sauté for several minutes. Add white wine and cook until the alcohol mostly evaporates.
Step 4- Cook the clams. Add the spices and clams. Cook for 6-7 minutes, discarding the clams that haven’t opened. Using tongs, transfer the clams to a bowl, remove the meat, and add it back to the skillet with a few shells for decoration.
Step 5- Assemble. Add butter to the skillet, followed by the pasta. Stir to combine and serve.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Toss in some canned clams. While I prefer fresh clams, they can be expensive, so feel free to use 1-2 cans of chopped clams instead.
- Add a splash of clam juice. I find this adds a nice savory, mineral flavor to the pasta. A tablespoon is more than enough.
- Garnish. Top the pasta with parmesan cheese and fresh lemon juice.
Variations
- Add extra seafood. Sauté shrimp, scallops, mussels, or calamari for a heartier, more complex dish.
- Swap the pasta. For a healthy, gluten-free alternative, swap the linguine noodles for almond flour pasta.
- Add more lemon flavor. Fold in fresh lemon zest and serve the pasta with a lemon wedge.
Storage instructions
To store: Place leftover linguine in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to two days.
To freeze: Allow the pasta to cool completely before transferring it to a freezer bag and freeze it for up to three months.
Reheating: Reheat leftovers in a skillet over medium-low heat or microwave in 30-second intervals until warm.
Frequently asked questions
It depends on where the clams come from and how old they are. If you’re buying from a local seafood purveyor and they’re fresh, then you do not need to rinse them. However, if you’re uncertain, then it’s always a good idea to rinse them first.
More easy pasta dishes
- Seafood pasta
- Pesto pasta bake
- Gigi Hadid pasta
- Healthy one pot pasta
- Boursin cheese pasta
- Pastina
- Or any of these pasta recipes
Linguine with Clam Sauce
Video
Ingredients
- 28 ounces clams in shells
- 10 ounces linguine uncooked
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 shallots thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 teaspoon chili optional
- 1/2 cup white wine or fish broth
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Clean the clams well, by soaking them in water for several minutes. Rinse them with water and wash each with a brush and set them aside, discarding the broken ones.
- Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook a minute less than the instruction on the package. Drain the pasta and reserve one cup of pasta water.
- Heat the oil in a medium skillet and sauté shallots and garlic until translucent. Add the wine and cook shortly until the alcohol evaporates.
- Add the chili, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper, followed by clams. Cook for 6-7 minutes, discarding the clams that haven't opened up. Remove clams from the skillet and remove the meat from most of them, reserving a few shells for decoration.
- Add the butter to the skillet followed by the clam meat and pasta. Mix everything together then serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published March 2023, updated and republished August 2024
This looks amazing. I like seafood and pasta so much. I need to try.
Linguine is my favourite pasta. My mum makes it very often!