This is a Papa Louie time-tested classic recipe and beats any I have ever had. The key is to use fresh hard shell clams but canned clams can be used in a pinch if needed. Here’s what you’ll need for 4-6 people:
2 dozen true “top neck” clams (or about 50 typical farm raised sized)
Cheap white wine (semi-sweet grapey wine)
Small bottle of clam juice (Bar Harbor preferred)
3-4 garlic cloves
Fresh parsley
Fresh basil
Green onions (scallions)
Chicken bouillon (1 cube)
Mixed dried Italian seasoning
Crushed red pepper
Olive oil
Butter (salted)
Salt & pepper
Grated parmesan cheese
Loaf of fresh Italian bread
First, shuck the clams (this means open them) over a bowl so you can save all the juice with the clams as you open them. Then strain the clams from the juice and reserve the juice on the side or in the refrigerator. Chop the clams to whatever size you like and also reserve in the refrigerator.
Next, get a large sauce pan and coat the bottom with olive oil (no heat yet). Add in finely chopped parsley, basil, and scallion, and then turn on heat to a low simmer. Add 2 tablespoons of butter and gently sauté while chopping the garlic. When the greens in the pan are sweated and soft, add in the garlic. Keep the heat on medium-low to avoid burning the garlic.
Once the garlic has simmered for a couple minutes, add in ¼ cup of white wine and simmer to cook off alcohol. Then add the clam juice, which should be about 2 cups reserved from shucking. If there is any sediment in the bottom of the bowl with the clam juice, be careful not to let it end up in the pan. Add the small bottle of juice if needed. The consistency should be thin and more like a broth than a sauce.
As the sauce is simmering, add in the bouillon cube, a few shakes of Italian seasoning, and a pinch of black and red pepper to taste. It should not need any added salt, but now is a good time to taste it to make sure.
After simmering for a couple minutes, add in the raw chopped clams and return to simmer for a quick minute. Add a couple tabs of cold butter to finish the sauce. Now turn the heat to low (almost off) and cover while you make the linguini. That’s it.
When ready to eat, you can heat the sauce back up to a low simmer and spoon clams with generous amounts of broth over the warm linguini. Sprinkle with crushed red pepper, dried parsley and parmesan cheese. Serve with fresh Italian bread and warm butter for sopping up the juice.
Tip: If working with fresh clams (as you should be), try chilling them in the freezer for 10-15 minutes before opening them. That will make them much easier to open, which is nice, especially if there are a lot to deal with!