SOPRANO'S LINGUINE ALLE VONGOLE-Clam sauce

By arserrano

Ingredients

• 3 lbs of the smallest little neck, or other hard-shell clam
• One peperoncino crumbled or a good shake of crushed red pepper
• 6 cloves garlic crushed
• Add lots of butter
• Add chicken broth
• One cup or so of white wine
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• A handful of fresh parsley, washed and minced
• A few leaves of basil, washed and chopped
• A few sprigs of mint, washed and chopped

Preparation

Step 1

Scrub the clams well.

Discard any clams that have broken shells or that don't close up tightly when handled.

Heat some olive oil in a large stock pot.

Add the garlic and the pepper and water.

Cook just a few minutes.

Add the clams, the herbs, and the white wine and cover and cook just until the clams begin to open-you will hear a popping sound.

Transfer the opened clams to a bowl and continue cooking the remaining clams.

Discard any that refuse to ope.n
(give the pot a good shake every so often).

Working over a small bowl to catch the juices, scrape the clams from the shells, paling them in another bowl. Pour all of the liquid from the pot into the bowl with the juices. If the clams are sandy, rise the one at a time in the clam juices. Pass the liquid through a sieve lined with cheesecloth or a paper coffee filter.

In a 12 inch skillet, cook the garlic, parsley and peperocino in the oil over medium heat until he garlic is golden. Add about t 2/3 of the clam juices and cook until the liquid is reduced by half. Remove and discard the garlic. Stir in the remaining juices and the clams and cook 1 minute more.

Meanwhile boil the linguine al dente and drain.

Toss the pasta with the sauce over high heat for 1 minute. Serve immediately.

Serve over linguini or spaghetti.
Serves 6