Italian red clam sauce is made differently than the white clam sauce many know. It contains no butter or cheese.
Yield:
Serves 8.Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 to 5 whole cloves garlic
2 cans (1 pound 12 ounces each) crushed tomatoes
1/3 cup dry red wine
1 quart fresh shelled clams, with their liquid (about 4 quarts in the shell)
Bottled clam juice, if needed
2 pounds linguine
Hot red pepper flakes (about 1/2 teaspoon)
Salt to taste
Chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
In a large saucepan, heat olive oil and saute garlic until lightly golden. Add tomatoes and wine and bring to a boil, stirring. Drain clams and add their liquid to pan. Simmer uncovered, stirring often, for 1-1/2 hours. If necessary, add bottled clam juice to give a good seafood flavor.
Clean clams. If clams are large, remove bellies. Chop clams coarsely and add to warm sauce just before serving time, letting them simmer 10 minutes or so.
Cook linguine until al dente. Place pasta in shallow serving dish or individual bowls. Season sauce with red pepper flakes and salt to taste. Pour sauce over pasta and sprinkle with chopped parsley.
