Hardshell Clams with Garlic
The classic recipe for steaming clams and a good topping for pasta. In Italy, the smallest clams possible are used—with shells often not much bigger than your thumbnail—and here the best to use for that purpose are tiny little necks, mahogany clams, or cockles. When buying hardshell clams, make sure the shells are undamaged and tightly shut; this means the clams are alive. The only remaining challenge is to make sure the clam shells are entirely free of sand (you need not worry about the interior; that’s the advantage of these clams over steamers). Wash the shells well and even scrub them if necessary. If any clams remain closed after cooking, simply pry them open with a knife or your fingers.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 4 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Put half the olive oil in a large, deep skillet and turn the heat to high. Add the clams and cook, shaking the skillet or stirring the clams occasionally, until the first few of them open, about 5 minutes.
Step 2
Add the garlic and, if you’re using them, the hot pepper flakes, and cover for a minute. Uncover, then continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until almost all of the clams are open, another 5 to 10 minutes. (Any that are not open at this point may be opened at the table with an ordinary butter knife or your fingers.) Sprinkle with salt and pepper, drizzle with the remaining olive oil, garnish with the parsley, and serve with the lemon wedges.
Pasta with White Clam Sauce
Step 3
In step 1, set a large pot of water to boil and add salt. While the clams are cooking, cook 1 pound pasta, preferably linguine, until it still has quite a bit of crunch (you must taste frequently once it begins to soften). When the clams are almost done, turn off the heat and cover the skillet. Drain the pasta, reserving about 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Add the pasta to the clams and cook, stirring, until the pasta is tender, adding the reserved cooking liquid if the mixture seems dry. Stir in the parsley, taste and adjust the seasoning, and serve, omitting the lemon.
Pasta with Red Clam Sauce
Step 4
Follow the preceding variation, but just before adding the pasta to the clams, add about 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh or canned tomatoes (you can peel and seed them first if you have the time and energy).
