Linguine with Clams
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Linguine with clams in a garlicky white wine sauce makes an easy and elegant Italian pasta dinner.
Linguine with clams is a classic Italian restaurant dish, and it’s also one of the simplest, most affordable pasta dishes you can make at home. I know cooking shellfish, like clams and mussels, can be intimidating to the uninitiated, but I promise they are the easiest thing in the world to cook — and once you try it, you’ll wonder what took you so long! For this dish, you can do all of the prep and make the clam sauce in the time it takes to boil the pasta, so dinner is done in 30 minutes. To complete the meal, toss a salad, warm some crusty bread, and pour a few glasses of the same white wine used to make the sauce.
Looking for more classic Italian restaurant pasta dishes? Try my penne all vodka, bolognese, and lasagna.
What you’ll need to make Linguine with clams
HOW TO PREPARE THE CLAMS
The recipe calls for Littleneck clams, which are readily available at most supermarkets. They are usually sold in a mesh bag because they are alive and need to breathe. If your fishmonger places them in a plastic bag, remove them from the bag immediately when you get home from the supermarket and place them in a bowl (uncovered) in the refrigerator.
To prepare the clams, first, check that they are alive by making sure all of the shells are tightly closed. If any clams are open, gently tap them against the countertop; if they are alive, they will close their shells. Discard any clams that do not close their shells or that have cracked or chipped shells.
Next, place all of the clams in a bowl and cover them with cool tap water. Let the clams sit for 20 minutes to an hour. During this time, the clams will expel sand from inside their shells. When you’re ready to cook, lift each clam from the water and rinse it, scrubbing if necessary, to get rid of any grit from the surface. (Note that most supermarkets sell farm-raised clams, which are already quite clean, so you may not find a lot of grit or sand.)
How To Make Linguine with Clams
In a large pot over high heat, bring 4 quarts of water and 2 tablespoons of kosher salt to a boil. Add the linguine and cook according to 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).
Reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water, drain the linguine in a colander (do not rinse).
Meanwhile, prep all of the ingredients for the sauce.
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, 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/4 cup of the parsley.
Toss in the clams, then bring to a simmer.
Cook, covered, until the clams open, 6 to 8 minutes. Discard any unopened clams.
Add the drained pasta to the sauté pan with the clams. (If you don’t have room for everything in one pan, transfer the clams to a plate and cover to keep warm. When ready to serve, add them back to the pasta on a serving platter).
Increase the heat to medium and cook the linguine with the clams, tossing occasionally, until the pasta absorbs most of the sauce and is just tender, 1 to 2 minutes. If necessary, add some of reserved cooking water to keep 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 the linguini with clams to a serving dish or bowls and serve.
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Linguine with Clams
Linguine with clams in a garlicky white wine sauce makes an easy and elegant Italian pasta dinner.
Ingredients
- Kosher salt
- 1 pound 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, such as Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc (see note)
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 pounds Littleneck clams (40 to 45), scrubbed
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 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 quarts 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). Drain in a colander (do not rinse), reserving ½ cup of the cooking water for the sauce.
- 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 of the parsley; bring to a simmer and cook, covered, until the clams open, 6 to 8 minutes. Discard any unopened clams.
- Add the pasta to the sauté pan with the clams. (If you don't have room for everything in one pan, transfer the clams to a plate and cover to keep warm. When ready to serve, add them back to the pasta on a serving platter). Increase the heat to medium and cook the linguini with the clams, tossing occasionally, until the pasta absorbs most of the sauce and is just tender, 1 to 2 minutes. If necessary, add some of reserved cooking water to keep 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.
- Note: When cooking with wine, select a bottle that is inexpensive (under $10) but still good enough to drink. Avoid "cooking wines," which are salty and include additives.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 627
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated fat: 6 g
- Carbohydrates: 67 g
- Sugar: 4 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 33 g
- Sodium: 920 mg
- Cholesterol: 61 mg
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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Loved this recipe, I used gluten free pasta as I am gluten intolerant. It was amazing and will cook it again. Thank you!!!
I loved this recipe and I’ve been cooking for many years. I did add more liquid to dunk the bread in their juices. Served it with homemade (bread machine) sourdough bread and a caesar salad.
Good Day ,
thanks for the recipe but if possible may I know the amount of the wine we will be adding in to the sauce ?
Pinar Kursun
Istanbul -Turkey
Hi Pinar, you’ll need 1 cup of wine. Hope you enjoy!
I need to make it so that it serves 8-10 people. Is it ok to just double the quantity for everything?
Yep!
This is a very favourite recipe. I’ve made it a few times, using Manilla clams we’ve dug ourselves on the BC coast. Everyone raves about it. The lemon, butter,, and red pepper flakes really make the flavours burst with life. It’s also super easy! I love pairing it as suggested with the arugula, lemon, and Parmesan salad. Every time we stay on the coast and dig clams, this is the recipe we make now!!
I had company for dinner last night and made this as written with the only exception being I added a can of clams I had on hand as they was expiring in about 6 months. It was a huge hit with my husband and guests. The flavor was perfection! During dinner, the question came up whether we would order this out in the future, the answer was a resounding no as it would likely be a disappointment compared to this meal! While not a hard recipe, I am glad I prepped most of the ingredients earlier in the day. Thanks for a wonderful recipe.
Great recipe. Quick and easy. Dug up some fresh clams at Block Island this morning. I happened to have most of ingredients on the boat. Yummy!!
Hi Jenn! I made this for Christmas Eve and it was amazing! I wanted to make it tonight but with shrimp instead of clams. Should I still substitute with 2 lbs of shrimp or would the volume of shrimp be different? Thanks!
Hi Lisa, I think I’m weighing in too late to help, but 1 or 1.5 pounds would be plenty. If you haven’t already made this, you may want to check out the shrimp scampi recipe. 🙂
I made this for the first time ever. All I had made before was NE clam chowder. This is my new favorite. I don’t know how to use Instagram so I can’t send you a picture. Love your recipes.
Thank you
Cindy Caston
I like this recipe but after looking at how to purge clams on other sites, I’m concerned that it’s not specified here that the clams should be soaked in a salt water mix and not a freshwater one.
Hi Jenn! I wanted to make this for my family soon, but there are eleven of us. So I wanted to know how many times should I do it? And also, can we use fresh clams straight off the beach with this recipe? ( my family collected some the other day)
Hi Vivian, You could either make 2 or 2.5 times the recipe. And I believe you should stay away from clams you find on the beach from a food safety standpoint (they could be coming from polluted waters). Hope that helps!
I have made linguini and clams wirh many recipes.This one was the best.I added about 3/4 lb shrimp when most clams were opened. This is my go to recipe from now on.just perfect
Here’s to the crew
Linguine and clams awash a absolute hit with this Crew
My Family made Me make it twice in a week and a half
I kind of stacked it up a bit by adding to Your recipe Jenn
I doubled up on the garlic added a extra of of clams and two cans of minced bar harbor clams and a bottle of clam juice
They absolutely loved it
Thank You for making me the new chef in the house with Your fantastic recipes 🥰
Wow. The best I’ve ever had!!
Hi Jenn and others!
Like many others on this site, I have made NUMEROUS of Jenn’s recipes and each time, they have been a hit. I am planning on making this tomorrow for a group of 6 adults – will the amounts indicated in the recipe truly serve six people? Should I 1.5x the recipe? Thank you!
Hi Emily, this will serve six nicely, but if you’re nervous about it, feel free to make 1.5 times the recipe. Hope everyone enjoys!
Thank you Jenn! I will do that!
Your recipe for Linguine and clams did not disappoint. Everything was easily spelled out with no room for error. I made as written. I appreciated the tip on soaking the clams to eliminate the grit. This was as good as any restaurant entree. I will be making it for friends since I’ve had a practice run through! Coveting the leftovers!
Linguini and clams has been a long time favorite of mine. I tried this recipe, and it beats and exceeds many of the restaurants I have tried. The flavor is outstanding and it uses whole fresh clams, not chopped or canned. Thank you!
ABSOLUTE WINNER! Not only did it look great, it tasted fantastic. I did make some changes by adding a can of diced tomatoes, cutting the olive oil to 3 tablespoons, and eliminated the butter. I did not have any lemon zest (lemon was already zested) but increased the lemon juice to 2 tablespoons to make up for it. It was such a fresh tasting sauce and we didn’t miss the butter at all! One thing I do with pasta is to combine it with my sauce, make sure it’s bubbly, the. Cover and turn off the heat for about 10 minutes. The pasta absorbs the sauce much better this way. It’s definitely in my rotation as we have access to fresh dug steamer clams all month long.
O.K. Made this last night…! My wife and I both thought it turned out great. I used fresh, in the shell, clams and my only regret was that even though I soaked the mussels in cold water for over an hour, they were still a little gritty. (It could be that I didn’t really scrub the shells as I inspected then, I only held them under running water… .)
To me, the key step is to add pasta water after the butter melted at the end (i only used 3/4 cup) and then agitate the pan a lot (a lot, lot). That really creamed up the “sauce”. Also, I took the time to remove almost all of the shells (which took a minute because for the ones that weren’t already separated form the clams, I had to take them out, let them cool a bit to then knock the clam back into the pan).
To be honest, next time, I’m going to look for already shelled fresh clams (if those exist) or use canned… unless I can find a fool proof way totally eliminate the grit.
But, to sum it up… it was a total success. Great recipe and guide…!
Planning on making tomorrow. Got a Kg of fresh clams from the Amsterdam Friday market. …and just to p— off the ~silly gringos who say… “you can’t add cheese to seafood dishes”… Ima finish with copious spoons of parmesan…! …because it’s hella good…!
I made it with razor clams from long beach washington. Mostly chopped necks. First time making this. Was a little runny. Added some cilantro because I had it on hand & we love it.
This is scrumptious. Even with canned clams! I added the clam juice to the olive oil, shallots and garlic, and let it reduce for about ten minutes. Then just added the canned clams (I used three 8 oz. cans). We had a beautiful box of Italian tagliolini and really good pasta does make a difference.
The tablespoon of lemon at the end completely took over the flavor balance. All I could taste was lemon. Also, the clams took at least double the time to open, some ended up to 20 minutes.
This was absolutely delicious. The recipe received rave reviews from my family.
I made this for our NYE dinner. OMG, this was so delicious. I made a few adjustments: 1 cup extra white wine (extra dry), 1 cup clam juice, 3 Tbl butter, 2 Tbl chili flakes total and added 1 pints of cherry tomatoes last 3 -5 mins into simmering sauce. A decadent, easy dinner.
We just had leftovers for lunch, broth/sauce was even better second day. Thank you for helping us create a new holiday favorite.
I’m a beginner cook who just started when stuck at home 2 years ago. This worked out great, loved by my husband who is a great Chinese and Western cook so is picky about cooking by other people or by restaurants. Used what I had on hand, which was tricolor fusilli pugliesi, 6 banana shallots, and frozen clams in the shell from Spain. Clams seem to be expensive and unusual to get fresh in the UK. The clams were boil-in-bag or rather simmer-in-bag so i put the whole bags in the simmering pasta pot. Was liberal with the red pepper flakes, salt and pepper given my larger volumes. The lemon zest, lemon juice, wine and butter really do come together at the end, I was worried it would be too sour but the blend ends up subtly aromatic. Joining my growing list of signature dishes.
This is an absolutely fantastic dish! Such a crowd pleaser. My 4 and 5 year olds request it often.
This was delicious, great flavor. I would make this again!
good recipe but frustrating to have to keep glancing at the recipe on my phone – did i miss the print link??
Hi Cat, Glad you liked the recipe! There is a way to print the recipe — when you’re viewing the full recipe (near the bottom of the page), look in the upper righthand corner of that box – you’ll see a print icon there.
Love this recipe. I added two 6.5 ounce cans of chopped clams to provide a bit more substance.
agree
I made this tonight and it was delish! I was a little short of Manila clams so I added some canned razor clams I had on hand. I also had a quart of clam juice that was frozen from another seafood adventure and I cooked my pasta in that with a little added water. Then used a little of the liquid as needed in the finished dish for a little more sauce. Will definitely be making this again. And I didn’t have to make any real taste adjustments, which is rare for me. Thank you!!
This recipe has no flavour
So delicious! It is perfect.
If I was to serve this as an appetizer with crusty bread instead of pasta, would you recommend any changes? How many do you think this quantity would serve w as an app?
I definitely want the rich buttery sauce to sop up.
Hi Lil, I think it would safe to assume that it will serve about a dozen as an app. Hope everyone enjoys!
This recipe does not deserve anything less than 5 stars! This is definitely a restaurant quality meal and one serving would easily cost $30+ out. The instructions were easy to follow and the flavor was superb! Highly recommend!
Absolutely delicious! I literally only got 1 bowl because my husband ate 5. That’s a Yumm score for sure.
Tonight instead of White Wine I’ll be adding a Dry Rose’.
Wish me Luck!
Great recipe but next time I would add more garlic, shallot & parsley
👍
Excellent recipe! My husband will only eat this dish home cooked now! I’ve made it several times following the recipe almost exact, I add a bit more fresh clams and add chicken broth to the boiling pasta water…Delicious 😋😋😋
👍
Excellent recipe! My husband will only eat this dish home cooked now! I’ve made it several times following the recipe almost exact, I add a bit more fresh clams and add chicken broth to the boiling pasta water…Delicious 😋😋😋
Used regular salt, crushed red pepper, black pepper, and parsley. It was excellent. I have tried kosher salt – just don’t like the taste.
I cooked your Linguine with Clams for my husband, who has tasted every conceivable recipe for this dish and said it was the best he had ever tasted. I only added a little more white wine and let it cook down a bit for five more minutes. The combination of olive oil, white wine, lemon, lemon zest, parsley, and garlic with the clams is a winning combination!
👍
WOW! I have made linguini with clams many times. I decided to try your recipe almost exactly. (I did use a few more garlic cloves.) This is possibly the best I have ever had. Everything is perfection in this recipe. Thank you for sharing this.
Best dinner I’ve made in ages. Subbed broth for the wine and added extra lemon juice. Delicious!
This recipe is fantastic – fast, easy and delicious! I even substituted sardines for the clams and it was even more outstanding. It comes together very quickly, so be sure you’ve prepared all the ingredients before beginning. A wonderful summer dinner!
Hi Jenn,
I made this recipe last night. I made one substitute. I used the white section of green onions because I didn’t have shallots. The dish took me a little longer than usual time noted. The sauce was flavorful and the presentation lovely.
I served with chopped garlic and butter a top of baked sourdough bread. Side salad mix with fresh Swisschard. Dinner was so delicious 😋 that thinking about it makes me hungry.
According to seafood suppliers, Littleneck clams average 9 clams per pound. Your recipe should call for 5 pounds of clams, or 40 – 45 whole littlenecks.
Thank you.
We are loving this recipe. Have had Clams & Linguine in many Italian restaurants; also make at home. This was scrumptious! Will definitely make again.
Hi Jane.
As a former professional chef,and owner of a bistro, our fishmonger who really knew his stuff and sought after, there are 10-12 little neck clams in a pound.
Lisa
bought a 1.62lb of clams (little neck) and only about 18-20…
agree
agree! bought 1.62lb of clams (all they had) (little neck) and only about 18-20…
The smallest clams are called littlenecks amounting to 10-12 clams per pound. The most popular steaming clam in our area but they are often served raw on the half shell with cocktail sauce or even grilled with a squeeze of lemon and some melted butter. Averaging between 12-15/lb.
Thanks!
I used frozen clam meat (sans shells), but otherwise followed the recipe exactly and found the dish to be bland. The second night, with half of the dish remaining, I added half a pound of shrimp, lots more lemon zest and juice, a big pile of extra parsley, a few more dashes of wine, and more Parmesan. It was much tastier.
You changed the recipe and then said it was bland?
Hi Gail,
I agree with RV’s comment. Another point: you didn’t make Jenn’s recipe to begin with. You said what you made was with “frozen clam meat sans shells). You missed out on so much wonderful flavor that fresh clams in their shells bring to the recipe. The shells alone are responsible for so much! There’s a reason Linguine with clams is traditionally cooked & served WITH the shells.
You didn’t make Jenn’s recipe for Linguine with Clams. You used frozen clam meat for what you cooked, included pasta,and the following night having leftovers, put in shrimp & parsley. Just isn’t remotely close to Jenn’s recipe.
You’re missing out on an exceptional recipe. Check out the other reviews. Everyone is loving it❤️.
It doesn’t get much better than Jenn’s recipes & her instructions for success in the kitchen.
Gave 5 stars because Jenn,this is absolutely wonderful! We had 6 for dinner, and this was so easy & everyone loved it!
Thank you again 😊
Hi Jenn,
I’m writing to you from Cyprus, a minuscule Mediterranean island and yet very poor in fresh shellfish availability (the why is another story), so virtually all of our shellfish is imported. I’d love to try out your recipe but can only find frozen clams at our supermarkets. Any idea if I’d have to defrost the clams first (presumably overnight in the fridge) or if I could simply toss them in the pan from frozen with a little longer heating till they open? Many thanks in advance.
PS Apologies for not being able to actually rate the recipe, but it does read like a winner and I will give you feedback when I’ve actually tried it.
Hi Alma in Cyprus 🙂
I haven’t used frozen clams for this but a few readers have commented that they have and have been happy with the results. I would thaw them in the fridge overnight before using them. Hope that helps and that you enjoy!
Horrible recipe too much white wine gave it a tart flavor instead of the nice buttery garlic flavor that everyone loves with linguini and clams
good to know – might add a bit of butter…
Mostly liked it but it needed parmigiano reggiano cheese when served.Method that I use is to put the pasta directly from the pot on top of the clams when they are just starting to open.I used 60 manila clams that we dug a few hours before making this recipe on a Hoods Canal beach.Cover the pasta in the 12 inch cast iron skillet and don’t add the extra water as the pasta carries enough to do the job and time it for 3 minutes and then add the parsley and lemon juice and zest. I’ll use this recipe with these changes again as it only requires a bit of timing such as putting the clams into the skillet with the wine just a couple minutes before the pasta is done.
So delicious! We made this recipe with muscles from Costco and Italian linguine pasta. Will make it again because to was so tasty.
my store didn’t have as many clams as i wanted so added some muscles – excellent!
Outstanding! and I mean it. Traded 1/2 the wine for 1 cup of clam broth. Other than that I followed the recipe as written here. Good Bye to canned clams.
I made this with the longneck clams and they were large (for two pounds would have been 24 clams total) so I’m making it next time with the manila clams. Any advice? I hear the manila clams are less ‘fishy’ tasting’?
Hi Renee, manila clams should work here. The cooking time will likely be less for them as they’re smaller. Just keep an eye on them and you’ll know that they’re ready when they open. Please LMK how it turns out with them!
Did not rate above but is 5+ stars
Really great!