Pasta with Clams and Basil

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Source: Saveur
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Pasta with Clams and Basil View Gallery Photo: Laurie Smith

SERVES 4

The Pacific littleneck clam used in this recipe is harvested from Alaska to Southern California and is known for its tremendous taste and accessibility.

1⁄3 cup olive oil
8 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1⁄2 cup dry white wine
4 dozen littleneck clams, scrubbed
1 lb. fettuccine
3 tbsp. fresh flat-leaf parsley
3 tbsp. fresh basil leaves
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Heat oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant but not brown, about 1 minute.

2. Add wine and clams, and cook, tightly covered, until clams open, about 5–8 minutes. Occasionally shake skillet and remove clams as they open, setting them aside in a bowl (discard any that are chipped or fail to open).

3. Meanwhile, cook fettuccine in a large pot of boiling, salted water until tender. Drain pasta and add to clam sauce in skillet. Add parsley and basil. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper and toss. Transfer to a large serving bowl and arrange clams on top.

This article was first published in Saveur in Issue #7

Ratings & Reviews (3)

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what to do with the sand from the clams? shouldn't they be steamed separately from other ingredients, so one can strain out the sand?
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I loved the idea of doing a fettuccine clam dish without its being the usual Alfredo variation, and I love basil in almost any form. But it occurred to me that basil cries out to be married with tomatoes. But how to do this without making it a red sauce dish? The answer was obvious. I chopped sun dried tomatoes, and added them with the wine and clams to steam. Otherwise I followed the recipe, and got a great dish as a result!
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Hikerpat, The litleneck is not a clam with a neck through which is siphons its food, but instead is a quahog. Clams have sand problems. Quahogs do not.

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