Italian Linguine in Clam Broth Soup

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This Neapolitan-style dish combines briny small clams with linguine in a fragrant, brothy sauce scented with garlic, white wine, and parsley. It's lighter than the classic dry-style clam pasta, served in a shallow soup that lets the seafood flavor shine through every strand.

Nutrition Facts

Per serving (estimated)

• 620 kcalCalories
• 28 gFat
• 4 gSaturated Fat
• 58 gCarbs
• 3 gFiber
• 4 gSugar
• 30 gProtein
• 720 mgSodium
• 640 mgPotassium
• 110 mgCalcium
• 6 mgIron
• 22 mgVitamin C
• 320 mcgVitamin A

Ingredients

For the clams and broth

• 1 kg small clams (arselle or vongole veraci), scrubbed
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 120 ml extra virgin olive oil
• 100 ml dry white wine
• 200 g cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 small bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• Fine sea salt, to taste

For the pasta

• 320 g linguine
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Reserved pasta water as needed

Directions

1. Soak the clams in cold salted water for 30 minutes to purge any sand, then drain and rinse well.
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the linguine and cook 2 minutes less than the package directions for al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining.
3. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a wide pan over medium heat. Add the sliced garlic and red pepper flakes and cook gently for 1-2 minutes until fragrant but not browned.
4. Add the cherry tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes until they begin to break down, then pour in the white wine and let it bubble for 1 minute to evaporate the alcohol.
5. Add the clams, cover the pan, and cook for 3-4 minutes, shaking occasionally, until all the clams have opened. Discard any that stay closed.
6. Add the drained linguine to the pan along with a few splashes of the reserved pasta water and the lemon zest. Toss gently for 1-2 minutes so the strands soak up the briny broth.
7. Stir in the chopped parsley, drizzle with the remaining olive oil, and taste for salt before serving immediately in shallow bowls with plenty of the clam broth.

Cook’s Notes

• Always discard clams that remain tightly closed after cooking; they were not alive and are unsafe to eat.
• Purge the clams in salty seawater-like water (about 35 g salt per liter) for at least 30 minutes to remove grit.
• Pull the pasta from the water a couple of minutes early so it finishes cooking in the broth and absorbs the clam flavor.
• For an even more aromatic soup, add a handful of fresh basil leaves along with the parsley at the end.
• Serve with crusty bread and a cold glass of the same white wine used in the broth.

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