I first had this recipe this summer up on the Cape where our friends made it for us for dinner. I have tried to recreate it a few times but according to the Hubs, it still does not compare to when our friend Jen made it. I am trying to convince him it was the freshness of the clams brought straight in on the wharf that day, but secretly, I do know Jen's is better! I am going to share it with you, because if you haven't had Jen's on Cape Cod, than you won't know the difference, and the recipe comes out restaurant quality good!Ingredients:1 lb dried linguine3/4 C olive oil5 cloves of chopped garlic3 shallots or diced thin2 lbs littleneck clams, rinsed to remove excess sand1/2 C. white wine2 T. butter1 lemon, zested1 shake of red pepper flakesS & P to taste
Start by scrubbing, or at the very least rinsing, the clams to make sure you have gotten rid of any excess sand.
In a large pot, heat up olive oil and begin to sautee the shallots until they are almost soft, than add the garlic and saute on low temperature to make sure the garlic does not burn.
Meanwhile, in another pot, bring water to boil for you to cook the linguine in, you may want to start boiling the water as soon as you start all your sauteeing.
When the garlic & shallots are done, pour in the wine and let simmer on medium temperature.
When the wine and olive oil is hot, drop clams in and cover with a lid to steam them open. Simmer & steam for approximately 7-8 minutes. If for some reason any of the clams don't open, pick them out and throw them away, nobody wants to eat a bad clam! When everything has opened, stir in the butter to give the sauce a little bit of sweetness.
(this is what it will look like once they have all opened).
Zest up the lemon and set aside
When linguine is done cooking, drain and toss everything together in a big bowl. Season with salt and pepper, be generous, the pasta really soaks it up. Shake on a little bit of crushed red pepper flakes and top each bowl with a sprinkle of the lemon zest.
