Red Clam Sauce

An overhead image of a bowl of linguine with clam sauce.

Pair red clam sauce with linguine for a classic Italian pasta dish made with tender clams, garlic, white wine, and tomatoes. It’s rich, comforting, and comes together in about 30 minutes, making it perfect for both busy weeknights and casual dinner guests.

Course Main, Main Course, Main dish

Cuisine Italian

Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings servings

Calories 451kcal

Author Jessy Freimann

Equipment

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons olive oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
13 ounces minced clams, drained (two 6.5 ounce cans)
13 ounces chopped clams, drained (two 6.5 ounce cans)
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried parsley
½ cup dry white wine
28 ounce Crushed Tomatoes canned
¼ cup water
1 pound linguine, cooked
Romano cheese, garnish

Instructions

Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium high.
Add garlic and sauté for 2-3 minutes, stirring often so the garlic doesn't burn.
Add clams, crushed red pepper, salt, black pepper and dried parsley and stir to combine.
Saute for 3-4 minutes stirring often until heated through.
Deglaze the pan with white wine and simmer for 2 minutes stirring often to reduce slightly.
Add crushed tomatoes and swirl water in empty can to get any tomatoes that may have been left behind and then stir the water into the pan.
Bring to a simmer and then reduce to medium low and simmer for 10 minutes stirring periodically.
Serve immediately over hot linguine with a sprinkle of Romano cheese.

Video

Notes

Don’t skimp on the garlic. It adds so much flavor to the sauce, and this is one of those recipes where measuring with your heart really works.
Choose your clam texture. A mix of minced and chopped clams gives great flavor and bite in this Italian linguine with clam sauce. If you’re not big on texture, stick with minced only.
You can use fresh clams instead of canned. You’ll need about 2 cups, roughly 6 dozen small clams. Soak and scrub them, steam until they open, discard any that stay closed, then chop and add to the sauce.
You can use the reserved clam juice instead of wine. It adds extra seafood flavor and works great if you prefer to skip the wine.
Ingredients to prep ahead- Peel and mince the garlic, and cook the pasta just until al dente. Store separately until ready to use.
Leftovers and storage- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop over medium heat or in the microwave until warmed through.

Nutrition