Recipes › Seafood › Linguine Alle Vongole Recipe

Linguine Alle Vongole Recipe

Recipe by Pedro M. A. Neves

Linguine alle vongole is a classic Roman seafood pasta featuring tender clams in a light white wine and garlic sauce. This elegant dish celebrates the natural briny sweetness of fresh clams with minimal embellishment, allowing the quality of ingredients to shine. Prepared in under 30 minutes, it's a restaurant-quality meal that brings the Amalfi Coast to your table.

Ingredients

• 400g linguine pasta
• 1kg littleneck or Manila clams, cleaned and rinsed
• 5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 150ml dry white wine (Pinot Grigio or Vermentino)
• 120ml reserved pasta water
• 60ml extra-virgin olive oil
• 30g fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• Zest of 1 lemon (optional)

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add linguine and cook according to package directions until al dente, approximately 9-11 minutes. Reserve 120ml of pasta water before draining.

2. While pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a large shallow pan over medium heat. Add sliced garlic and red pepper flakes, stirring constantly for 1-2 minutes until fragrant but not browned.

3. Increase heat to medium-high. Pour in white wine and let it simmer for 2 minutes to reduce slightly and cook off raw alcohol.

4. Add cleaned clams to the pan, cover with a lid, and cook for 5-7 minutes. Shake the pan occasionally until clams open, discarding any that remain closed after cooking.

5. Pour in reserved pasta water and stir gently. Add the drained linguine directly to the pan and toss to combine, coating the pasta in the clam broth and sauce.

6. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring gently, until the sauce emulsifies slightly and coats the pasta. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

7. Divide pasta among four shallow bowls. Garnish generously with fresh parsley and lemon zest if desired. Serve immediately with crusty bread.

Substitutions

• For dietary restriction: Substitute gluten-free linguine (cook 1-2 minutes longer) for traditional pasta
• For shellfish allergy: Replace clams with 400g chopped white fish such as halibut or sea bass, reducing cooking time to 3-4 minutes
• For alcohol-free version: Replace white wine with 150ml clam broth or fish stock and 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• For vegetarian alternative: Omit clams and use 400g sautéed mushrooms (cremini or porcini) with 1 tablespoon soy sauce for umami depth

Tips

• Clean clams thoroughly under cold running water 30 minutes before cooking and discard any with broken shells or those that don't close when tapped—this ensures both safety and quality
• Use a shallow pan rather than a deep pot to allow even heat distribution and better sauce coating of the pasta
• Reserve pasta water before draining—its starch is essential for creating a silky, cohesive sauce that clings to the linguine
• Cook the pasta al dente as it will continue cooking slightly when tossed with the hot clam sauce

Linguine alle vongole originates from the Lazio region of Italy, particularly Rome and the surrounding coastal areas. This dish represents cucina romana tradition where simple, high-quality ingredients—particularly fresh seafood from the Tyrrhenian Sea—are prepared with minimal intervention to preserve their natural flavors.

You might also like

Lobster Linguine Recipe

45 min · Seafood

Mixed Shellfish Stew Recipe

55 min · Seafood

Mussels Marinara Recipe

28 min · Seafood

Oysters Rockefeller Italian Recipe

37 min · Seafood