Linguine alle Vongole

5 from 7 votes

Linguine alle Vongole, or pasta with clams, is a classic Italian seafood pasta made with fresh clams, garlic, white wine, and sometimes cherry tomatoes. It’s light, briny, and full of flavor—elegant enough for guests, yet simple enough for a weeknight. Serve with a glass of chilled white wine and crusty bread to soak up the delicious sauce.

Prep Time30

Cook Time20

Total Time50

Course: Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: easy pasta recipe, pasta

Servings: servings

Calories: 423.7kcal

Author: Lora

Equipment

1 skillet
1 large pot

Ingredients

1 pound linguine
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 scallions chopped (optional)
12 ounces cherry tomatoes sliced in half (optional)
2 garlic cloves skin on
2 pounds Littleneck clams 40 to 45, scrubbed and cleaned
¾ cup dry white wine
⅓ teaspoon crushed hot red pepper flakes optional
¼ cup minced flat-leaf Italian parsley leaves only

Instructions

Prep the Clams

Purge the clams. Soak fresh clams in a large bowl of cold salted water for 20–30 minutes. This helps remove any grit or sand.
Scrub the shells under cold running water. Discard any cracked or open clams that don’t close when tapped. Set aside.

Cook the Pasta

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Add the linguine or spaghetti and cook 1–2 minutes less than package instructions for al dente texture.

Make the White Clam Sauce

When the pasta has 5 minutes to go, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large frying pan over a high heat, add the chopped scallions, cherry tomatoes, garlic (skin on and smashed with hand or with knife) and chili flakes, and cook for 1 minute, sautéing until garlic is fragrant (about 1 minute).
Pour in the white wine. Let it simmer until slightly reduced (about 2 minutes).
Add in the fresh clams. Carefully give the pan a shake, cover, and cook until they open (5–7 minutes).
After about 3 to 4 minutes, the clams will start to open. Gently shake the pan as they cook, and once most have opened, remove from heat (5–7 minutes). Be sure to discard any clams that stay closed.
Remove the garlic cloves.

Combine Pasta and Clam Sauce

Using tongs, transfer the pasta directly into the pan with the clams and let it simmer for a minute or two to soak up all those delicious juices.
Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed, then add freshly chopped parsley and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Toss it all together.

Serve & Enjoy!

Plate the pasta and top with extra clams in their shells for presentation.
Garnish with extra parsley, or a sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes.
Serve immediately with crusty bread to soak up the sauce! Buon Appetito!

Notes

Start the sauce when pasta has 5 minutes left — timing everything to finish together is the key to this dish.
Do not overcook the clams. Remove from heat as soon as they open. Rubbery clams are overcooked clams.
Discard any clams that stay closed after 7 minutes of steaming — do not force them open.
No cheese. This is Italian coastal cooking — skip the Parmigiano here.
Serve immediately. This dish does not wait. The pasta keeps absorbing the sauce and the clams lose texture quickly.

Nutrition