Skip to main content

Linguine with Rach’s Cupboard Red Clam Sauce

Anchovies work magic here. Once they melt they will not taste fishy; they’ll taste more like salted nuts, really. Plus, anchovies in any seafood sauce I serve are the secret ingredient that makes the eaters go “Hmm, what is that?” (Don’t tell anyone my secret, k?)

Recipe information

  • Yield

    4 servings

Ingredients

Salt
1 pound linguine
3 tablespoons EVOO (extra-virgin olive oil), 3 times around the pan
1 tin flat anchovy fillets, 2 ounces, drained
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (eyeball it in your palm)
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano leaves, a couple of pinches
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, 1/3 palmful
5 to 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup dry red wine, a couple of glugs
2 14-ounce cans whole baby clams in juice
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
Black pepper
2 handfuls of chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Lemon zest, for garnish

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Salt the water, add the pasta, and cook to al dente.

    Step 2

    Heat a large, deep skillet over medium-low heat. Add the EVOO, then add the anchovies and melt them into the oil. Next, add the red pepper flakes, oregano, thyme, and garlic. Cook the garlic for a minute, then add the onions, raise the heat to medium, and cook, stirring frequently, for 3 to 4 minutes, until the onions begin to get soft. Add the wine and cook it for a minute, then stir in the clams, adding the juice from one can (drain the other before you add the clams). Stir to combine and cook down the juice a minute or so to concentrate the flavor. Stir in the crushed tomatoes and season with salt and pepper (there’s so much anchovy and clam in this sauce you may not need salt at all—taste to test it).

    Step 3

    Drain the linguine well and add it to the sauce in the skillet. Add half the parsley and toss the pasta with the sauce. Adjust the salt and pepper and plate the pasta, garnishing it with the extra parsley and a little lemon zest.

Rachael Ray Express Lane Meals
Read More
Turn humble onions into this thrifty yet luxe pasta dinner.
Put that half-full tub to use with recipes that go beyond the Italian American classics.
This one-pot dinner cooks chicken thighs directly on top of a bed of flavorful cilantro rice studded with black beans for a complete dinner.
Keep this easy frittata recipe on hand for quick breakfasts, impressive brunches, and fridge clean-out meals.
This easy, one-skillet chicken stroganoff features tender chicken breasts, savory mushrooms, and a creamy Dijon-crème fraîche sauce—perfect for weeknights.
Like Sri Lankan cashew curry and vegan stuffed shells.
Use this simple vinaigrette to dress a plate of greens, some steamed potatoes, or anything else that strikes your fancy.
Filberts, goobers, scaly bark nuts: Explore the world beyond almonds in this guide.