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Spicy Clam Pasta - restaurant-quality linguine tossed with juicy Manila clams and garlic butter sauce. This clam pasta is great for dinner and takes only 20 mins.
Clam Pasta
Clam Pasta is my favorite Italian pasta dish. I always order clam pasta or “Linguine alle Vongole” whenever I dine out at Italian restaurants.
It’s made with fresh clams such as Manila clams or little neck clams, with linguine, in a white wine garlic butter sauce.
The taste is absolutely delicious, with the briny and fresh flavors of clams! Today I am going to teach you how to kick it up a notch by making Spicy Clam Pasta.
Garlic Butter White Wine Sauce
What makes clam pasta so delicious? It’s the sauce. It takes only a few ingredients below to make a killer pasta sauce:
- Garlic – lots of minced garlic.
- Butter – the more the better.
- Olive oil – you can’t make an authentic pasta without olive oil; extra virgin olive oil will be the best.
- White wine – use your favorite white wine or if you have Japanese cooking sake, use it!
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients.
Fresh Clams Vs. Canned Clams
Use fresh clams if possible. You can buy fresh clams from fish market, or at supermarkets. The shells are tightly closed if they are fresh.
Another tip is to ask your store when they get their shipment for the seafood. Go to the store the day the clams arrive and you are sure to get the freshest clams!
How Do You Cook Fresh Clams For Pasta
For clam pasta, you want to use fresh, hard-shell clams such as Manila clams, little neck clams, or cherry stone clams. I prefer Manila clams.
It’s very easy to cook clams, first you need to soak the clams in cold water, clean and scrub the hard shells with a brush.
To cook the clams, just add to the skillet. The shells are open when they are cooked, releasing the juicy flavors inside the clams into the sauce.
Some clams are more stubborn and take longer time to cook. If they do not open up, pick them out and toss them away as they are probably dead clams and foul-smelling.
How Do You Make Clam Pasta Spicy
Crushed red pepper flakes turn a regular clam pasta into spicy clam pasta that is even more delicious, in my opinion.
The amount of red pepper flakes depends on your personal liking. You can always add some on top of the pasta before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe is only 608 calories per serving.
What To Serve With Spicy Clam Pasta
For a wholesome meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.
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Spicy Clam Pasta
Ingredients
- 10 oz (280g) linguine
- 1.5 – 2 lbs (750g-1kg) Manila clams
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup white wine , or Japanese cooking sake
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 dashes ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons Italian parsley leaves, chopped
- lemon wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Soak the clams in cold water. Scrub the shells with a brush, then rinse with cold water, drain, and set aside.
- Heat a pot of water and bring it to a boil. Cook the linguine until al dente, according to the package instructions. Drain the linguine and set aside, reserving 1/4 cup of the pasta water.
- Heat a skillet over high heat and add the butter and olive oil. Add the garlic and sauté until it turns slightly brown. Stir in the red pepper flakes, then add the clams, tossing them around a few times.
- Add the white wine, salt, and black pepper. Cover the skillet and cook the clams for about 1-2 minutes, or until all the shells are open.
- Add the linguine and reserved pasta water to the skillet. Stir to combine well, then add the parsley and mix thoroughly. Turn off the heat and serve immediately. Squeeze some lemon juice over the pasta before serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Definitely will be a favorite. It was a perfect weekend dish. So flavorful.
Thanks so much!
Now, this recipe will be one of my favorites. Looks incredible!