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Briny clams, silky pasta, and a buttery, garlicky sauce make this linguine with clams taste like something you’d order at your favorite Italian restaurant.
Linguine with clams is a classic Italian restaurant dish, but it’s also one of the simplest and most affordable pasta dishes you can make at home. I know cooking shellfish like clams and mussels can seem intimidating, but they’re surprisingly easy to prepare—and once you try it, you’ll wonder what took you so long! Once the clams are cleaned and ready to go, you can make the sauce while the pasta cooks, so dinner comes together in about 30 minutes.
“I followed your instructions and when my husband tasted it, he said ‘Marry me’!”
What You’ll Need to Make Linguine with Clams
- Littleneck clams: Small, tender clams with a sweet, briny flavor. They release flavorful juices as they cook, creating the base of the sauce.
- Linguine: The classic pasta for this dish, though spaghetti works well, too.
- Dry white wine: Choose a crisp, dry wine, such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc. Select a bottle that is inexpensive but still good enough to drink. Avoid “cooking wines,” which are salty and include additives.
- Garlic and shallots: Create the aromatic base of the sauce.
- Olive oil and butter: Add richness and help bring the sauce together.
- Red pepper flakes: Add a subtle kick of heat.
- Fresh parsley and lemon: Brighten the sauce and balance the richness.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
How to Clean & Prepare Fresh Clams
This recipe calls for littleneck clams, which are readily available at most supermarkets. They’re usually sold in mesh bags because they’re alive and need to breathe. If your fishmonger puts them in a plastic bag, transfer them to an uncovered bowl in the refrigerator as soon as you get home.
Before cooking, check that the clams are alive. Their shells should be tightly closed. If any are open, gently tap them against the countertop; live clams will close their shells. Discard any that stay open or have cracked or chipped shells.
To remove any sand, place the clams in a bowl of cool tap water and let them soak for 20 minutes to an hour. When you’re ready to cook, lift them out of the water and rinse each one, scrubbing away any grit on the shells. Most supermarket clams are farm-raised and already quite clean, so you may not find much sand.
How To Make Linguine with Clams
Cook the pasta: Boil the linguine until just shy of al dente—it will finish cooking in the sauce. Before draining, save a little pasta water in case you need it later.
Make the clam sauce: Sauté the shallots and garlic in olive oil until lightly golden, then add the white wine, red pepper flakes, salt, parsley, and clams. Cover and steam until the clams open, about 6 to 8 minutes. Discard any that remain closed.
Bring it all together: Add the linguine to the pan and toss until it absorbs some of the garlicky sauce. If things look a little dry, add a splash of the reserved pasta water. Finish with butter, lemon zest, lemon juice, and parsley, then taste and adjust the seasoning before serving.
Linguine with Clams
Ingredients
- Kosher salt
- 16 oz linguine
- 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ cup finely chopped shallots, from 2 shallots
- 6 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
- 1 cup dry white wine
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 lb Littleneck clams (40 to 45), scrubbed
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped, divided
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest, from 1 lemon, plus more to taste
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, from 1 lemon, plus more to taste
Instructions
- In large pot over high heat, bring 4 qts (4L) of water and 2 tablespoons of kosher salt to a boil.
- Add the linguine and cook according to the package directions until just shy of al dente (the pasta should still be firm to the bite since it will cook another minute or two in the sauce). Reserve ½ cup (120 ml) of the cooking water, then drain the pasta without rinsing.
- Meanwhile, in a very large sauté pan over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil until hot but not smoking. Add the shallots and garlic and sauté until just golden, about 30 seconds.
- Add the wine, red pepper flakes, ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, clams, and ¼ cup (8 g) of the parsley. Bring to a simmer and cook, covered, until the clams open, 6 to 8 minutes. Discard any unopened clams.
- Add the drained linguine to the pan with the clams. If the pan is too crowded, transfer the clams to a plate and cover to keep warm; you can add them back when serving. Cook over medium heat, tossing occasionally, until the pasta absorbs most of the sauce and is just tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Add a splash of reserved pasta water if needed to keep it moist.
- Remove the pan from the heat. Add the butter, lemon zest, lemon juice, and the remaining 2 tablespoons of parsley; toss to coat.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt, lemon zest and/or lemon juice, if necessary. Transfer to a serving dish or bowls and serve.
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Storage & Reheating
Linguine with clams is best enjoyed right away, but leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days. To reheat, warm gently in a covered skillet over low heat with a splash of water to loosen the sauce. Heat just until warmed through to keep the clams from becoming rubbery. I don’t recommend freezing this dish.
What to Serve with Linguine with Clams
To complete the meal, toss an arugula salad or make some roasted asparagus. Warm some crusty bread to soak up the garlicky sauce, and pour a few glasses of the same white wine used to make the dish. For dessert, finish with tiramisu.
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Have you used mussels and clams together? Do you need to cook them separately since they take different cooking times, the clams longer than the mussels?
Hi Tammy, I haven’t made this with mussels but think it’s fine to. I’d just add the mussels in about a minute before you add the clams. Please LMK how it turns out!
This was amazing! I used “Better than Bouillon” instead of white wine and three mini red, orange and yellow peppers for color. Loved the touch of lemon! This is so much better than my regular garlic and oil treatment of clams and linguine! Thanks for a new idea!
Delicious! This recipe was super easy to follow and turned out really well, I used frozen clams that were already out of the shell and they worked great! I did add just a couple of tablespoons of clam juice as well. It was beautiful and we really enjoyed this restaurant quality meal at home for a fraction of the price. I’d attach a picture, but didn’t know how. 😊
Where are the amounts of all The ingredients?
Hi Ronni, It sounds like you are just looking at the portion of the page that has the pictures with some instructions underneath. If you scroll down a bit to under the pictures, you’ll find the full recipe. Alternatively, at the very top of the page, to the right of the recipe name, you’ll see an orange/red button that says Jump to Recipe – if you click on that, it will take you directly to the recipe. Hope that clarifies!
My favorite new activity is collecting PNW razor clams and this is best recipe so far!
Hi Jen?
I just cooked this dish and it was DELICIOUS!! Jeez Louise!!! I wanted to have seconds… 😄 I used frozen cooked clams and it turned out great!! Will definitely make it again. I am very thankful for you and your wonderful recipes. Have a great thanksgiving
Happy thanksgiving
You too Janelle (and so glad you enjoyed)!
This is a great recipe!! I’m a picky little foodie, but found the flavors in this dish well balanced and just what I was craving for dinner. The lemon zest and juice made it amazing!!
I modified the recipe a little. Curly parsley was all my supermarket had – and it worked. I used canned clams because it was all I had access to living way way deep in the country. After a glass of wine I couldn’t tell the difference between fresh and canned by memory. It may taste more oceanic in a side by side comparison with fresh clams. I used Woodbridge Sauvignon Blanc, and I also added fresh grated parmesano reggiano, which kicked this little dish to a new level. I really liked the heat that a pinch of chile flakes added.
I vote YES on this dish!!!
I am so excited to make this today! Just had a quick question, 1 lb of pasta isn’t enough for the company I’m having. Going with 2. So just doubling everything should work??
Yes but you may need two pans!
Ok. I think I have a big enough one that should work. Just going to double it all.
How much sodium in the Linguine and Clams? I had this in a Seafood Restaurant and it was so good I wanted to order another, but I didn’t for fear I looked like a p*g. I will try this anyway but gotta know the sodium count. Thanks.
LOL! I just added the sodium — it’s 920 mg per serving. Hope you enjoy if you make it!
Just want to add that there is a lot of sodium naturally in the clams. I need a very low sodium diet and made this recipe (which was delicious) without using any salt at all. Others were prepared to add additional salt and it was not needed.
I added condensed milk (in lieu of heavy cream) and it added another dimension to the dish. I also made an artisan bread (overnight white bread via Forkish’s book) and served the dish over the bread, with the pasta and the clam sauce and a very nice dry white wine. Wow! The bread!! The pasta! and the Clam sauce!
This is a dish to keep.
Don Weissman
EXCELLENT, recipe very simple.. DELICIOUS
There is not one thing you need to change or add to this recipe It is awesome Love Love & Love