Steamed Clams with Chorizo over Linguine
This is a super-fast recipe that is always a real crowd-pleaser.
INGREDIENTS
• 1 pound of linguine
• ½ cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• 1 finely diced shallot
• 1/3 cup of chopped Spanish Chorizo or Italian salami
• 6 finely diced cloves of fresh garlic
• 1/3 cup of dry white wine
• ¼ cup of fresh-squeezed lemon juice
• 18 - 24 littleneck clams
• Kosher salt and finely ground fresh pepper
• 1 tbsp of chopped fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley
• 1 tsp or a dash of red chili pepper flakes
• lemon wedge for garnish
Preparation
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta, following the package instructions, just until al dente.
• At the same time, in a high-sided saucepan set over medium-high heat warm the olive oil and butter. Add the shallots and garlic and the chorizo and let this all literally melt and soften together for about two minutes.
• Add the white wine and allow it to cook away and reduce about 1 minute. As the wine reduces squeeze the juice of a lemon and add the clams and their juice. Stir everything together. You can put a lid on the saucepan which will steam the clams.
• Check on the clams often and as they open remove each one as they open placing them in a metal bowl with a foil lid to keep them warm. Keep steaming the clams until the last one opens.
• About this point your linguine should be done and remove the linguine with tongs and add to the broth left in the saucepan. Add the clams back in and toss the mixture together coating the linguine with the broth and distributing the clams.
• Serve and garnish with the chopped Italian parsley, sprinkles of the red chile pepper flakes and a lemon wedge. Make sure to add extra broth over the pasta, a drizzle of more olive oil, and you can always grate some fresh parmesan cheese and a dash of salt and pepper. Serve immediately.