This is what Summer in a bowl looks like. If your love affair with linguine & clams has run its course, try this fun Summer take on a classic!
What You’ll Need:
1.5lbs of littleneck clams
2 large leeks, finely sliced and cleaned
Small handful of fresh thyme
3 ears of corn, pre-cooked (steamed, boiled or grilled) and taken off the cob
1/2 stick of butter
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
1 cup of white wine
1 small handful of chopped parsley, to taste
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 lb of linguine
1/2 lemon zested, optional
Red pepper, salt + black pepper to taste
To begin, get a medium-large stock pot and fill it with 2 cloves of garlic, a pinch of red pepper flakes, the thyme and 1 cup of the white wine. Bring it up to a simmer, add your clams and throw the top on the pot. Allow the clams to steam until they all open. De-shell the clams and reserve for later along with half of the cooking liquid.
Like making any pasta dish, start by filling a large pot with water and bring to a boil. This recipe will need some of that pasta water, so make sure you season your water liberally. Add the olive oil to a medium size skillet and get it hot; add your leeks and begin to sweat them until they become translucent. Next, add the corn and the garlic and right before the garlic is about to turn brown, add the reserved cooking liquid and let it simmer until reduced by half.
While your pasta is cooking and your leeks/corn mix is just about ready, add a small ladle of starchy pasta water to the pan and allow it to thicken the reduced wine. I like to put a little extra pasta water so I have a thinner sauce, this will help when we add the pasta to the pan for the final minutes of cooking. All of that delicious liquid will get soaked up into our al dente pasta. About 2-3 minutes before our pasta is done, add the clams to the pan and allow them to reheat. Then, add your butter and emulsify it into the liquid until its homogenous. You will notice, between your pasta water and now the butter, your sauce will begin to thicken.
Once your pasta is ready, strain it and add it to your sauce pan. Let the pasta finish cooking in the sauce a bit, again you will notice it begin to thicken as it reduces. Season with salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, chopped parsley and some freshly grated lemon zest.
A big hunk of bread is optional but preferred, enjoy!
