Linguine with white clam sauce is a classic Italian-American dish that consists of linguine pasta served in a flavorful sauce made from chopped clams, garlic, olive oil, butter, and dry white wine.
This dish is a staple at many seafood restaurants and is loved for its simplicity and delicious taste. The briny flavor of the clams complements the pasta perfectly, making it a satisfyingly rich meal.
Jump to:
❤️ Why I love this recipe
- We enjoy this Linguine with clam sauce as a special midweek dinner or for entertaining guests.
- We find this clam sauce recipe tastes better than what you at a restaurant!
- This white clam sauce is fantastic as a topping for pizza or clam dip and chowder.
Ditch the marinara sauce and transform your linguine and clams with this delicious white clam sauce!
🛒 Ingredients
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Note: The full list of this recipe ingredients with their amounts and options are listed in the recipe card below.
🗒 Instructions
Note: This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Cook the pasta until molto al dente (barley tender to bite), drain, and set aside. Add the clam juice to a mixing bowl.
- Whisk the cornstarch into ¼ cup of clam juice, and set aside.
- Add olive oil and butter to a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Saute the onion until tender.
- Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant but not brown.
- Add the white wine/broth, ¾ cup of clam juice, and reserved liquid from the clams.
- Allow the mixture to boil for 2 minutes.
- Stir in the cornstarch clam juice slurry until the sauce thickens.
- Add the clams and occasionally stir for 1-2 minutes. Add the drained pasta.
- Season with pepper and garnish with parsley and Parmesan cheese.
🔪 Equipment
The following are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
You’ll need the following items to make this recipe successfully.
- Pasta pot -- or deep pot to cook the linguine.
- Deep skillet -- to mix the baby clams and sauce with the pasta.
- Sharp knife -- for the onion, garlic, and parsley.
- Cutting board -- a sturdy surface for cutting.
- Wooden mixing spoon - for mixing the ingredients.
🤔 FAQs
These are the questions we are most frequently asked about making Clam Sauce with Linguine Recipe.
Here is just a sampling:
1 – Green Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette.
2 – Roasted Asparagus with Lemon.
3 – Garlic Bread.
4 – Oven Roasted Brussel Sprouts.
5 – Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots.
6 – Roasted Root Vegetables.
7 – Sauteed Spinach with Garlic.
Don't rinse canned clams because it will dilute the flavor. Clams are very mild flavored!
Be sure to save the clam juice, and use it in the clam recipe such as in clam chowder.
Clams are a lean source of protein, rich in iron, B12 and Omega- 3 fatty acids. Combined with a good measure of garlic and olive oil, this dish rates very high on the health benefit scale! So eat up on those clams.
👩🏻🍳 Tips
- Stored linguine will absorb more clam sauce. When reheating, add a splash of water or broth to loosen the mixture and add moisture.
- To get the linguine to molto al dente (barley tender to the bite), boil it for 10 minutes, not 8.
- Ladle out ½ cup of pasta water and set this aside should you want to use it later in the recipe to thin the sauce. Start with a Tablespoon or two of the reserved pasta water and increase it if necessary.
- I’ve used a 5 to 6-quart pan with 4 quarts of water to cook the pasta. It’s important to season the water with salt when cooking pasta. For every 4 quarts (or a gallon) of water, use 2 Tablespoons of kosher salt (or 4 teaspoons of table salt).
📚 Variations
- I’ve used linguine pasta in this white clam sauce recipe, but you could use spaghetti.
- Use Chicken broth instead of dry white wine.
- Give this white clam sauce an extra kick of heat by increasing the hot chili fakes.
- I’ve used kosher salt to season the pasta water, but you can use a reduced amount of regular table salt.
- Enjoy gluten-free white clam sauce by using gluten-free noodles.
🥫 Storage
Store this linguine with clam sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge from frozen and reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
📗 Related Recipes
Love a simple pasta sauce to add to your favorite pasta? Try these easy pasta sauce recipes:
- Creamy Zucchini Sauce - Enjoy freshly shredded zucchini, a creamy Alfredo-like sauce, and tender pasta.
- Classic Tagliolini Al Limone - A creamy lemon cheese sauce coats delicate tagliolini pasta. Make it in 15 minutes.
- Creamy Broccoli Pasta - A one-pan vegetable-rich dish that will even have the broccoli skeptics excited for a bowl!
🍽 Serve with
Enjoy your linguine with white clam sauce alongside a simple green salad or a side of garlic bread.
📞 Chiacchierata (chat)
While I love a quick and easy one-pan meal, I also love a dish that I know I can be proud to serve guests when entertaining, and this Linguine with White Clam Sauce is certainly that kind of recipe!
Repurpose any extra white clam sauce as a pizza topping or ingredient for dips and chowder.
Tutti a tavolo, è pronto!
What's new? Check out my All Our Way Store on Amazon. We'll be adding more items we love and use or wish we had to make cooking fun and easy.
📝 Recipe Card
Linguine with white clam sauce is a classic Italian-American dish that consists of linguine pasta served in a flavorful sauce made from chopped clams, garlic, olive oil, butter, and dry white wine. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley and a sprinkle of Parmesan.
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.
📖 Recipe
Spicy White Clam Sauce With Linguine
Equipment Needed
Ingredients
- 12 ounces dried linguine
- 3 Tablespoons pressed or minced garlic
- ½ cup finely chopped onion
- ¼ cup butter
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ½ cup dry white wine or chicken broth
- 8 oz clam juice 1 bottle — measure out ¼ cup and set aside
- 2 Tablespoon cornstarch
- 20 oz. baby clams 10 oz. each baby clams, drained (reserve the liquid)
- ½ cup chopped Italian parsley
- ½ teaspoon hot clili flakes
- kosher salt — see notes
- freshly ground black pepper
- Freshly shredded Parmesan Cheese
Instructions
- In a 5 to 6 quart pan over high heat, bring about 4 quarts water to a boil. Add about 1 Tablespoons Kosher salt to the water. Add linguine and cook, stirring occasionally, until molto al dente (barley tender to bite, about 10 minutes. Ladle out ½ cup pasta water in case you need to thin the sauce.
- Whisk the 2 Tablespoon cornstarch into the ¼ cup clam juice and set aside.
- Meanwhile in a 10 to 12-inch large skillet over medium-high heat, sauté onion in the olive oil and butter until tender. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant but do not brown. About 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the white wine or broth, ¾ cup clam juice, and reserved liquid from clams and bring to a boil.
- Boil for about 2 minutes and then stir in the cornstarch clam juice slurry until the sauce thickens.
- Add clams and stir occasionally until hot, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Drain the linguine. Add to the clam sauce along with the parsley.
- Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper. Mix.
- Serve with an additional sprinkle of parsley and Parmesan cheese.
- If you’d like a thinner sauce - add a Tablespoon or two of pasta water.
Notes
- Stored linguine will absorb more clam sauce. When reheating, add a splash of water or broth to loosen the mixture and add moisture.
- To get the linguine to molto al dente (barely tender to the bite), boil it for 8 minutes, not 10.
- Ladle out ½ cup of pasta water and set this aside should you want to use it later in the recipe to thin the sauce. Start with a Tablespoon or two of the reserved pasta water and increase it if necessary.
- I’ve used a 5 to 6-quart pan with 4 quarts of water to cook the pasta. It’s important to season the water with salt when cooking pasta. For every 4 quarts (or a gallon) of water, use 2 Tablespoons of kosher salt (or 4 teaspoons of table salt).
Nutrition
Sign up for the emails and never miss another recipe!!
We'll never share your email or send you spam. Promise
EIlen
Very good recipe. Need to add salt to the dish as well.
Marisa Franca
Thank you for the tip, Ellen. I always suggest to taste before serving. Salt can be an individual and dietary taste. Happy cooking! I'm always welcome to suggestions.
Krista
Can you make the sauce in advance?
Marisa Franca
It's so easy to make I don't make it in advance. You can try and see how it works.
Susan Cohn
My first time having OR making linguine with clam sauce. I made a few adjustments; a little less garlic (to my taste), added about 2T fresh lemon juice and only had 8 oz of linguine. Still, very good. Here’s a silly observation… I was surprised just how small those baby clams are! But still plenty of them so enough texture and flavor. I think that this tasted even better the next day. Will definitely make it again.
Marisa Franca
Ciao, Susan. I'm so glad you enjoyed our quick recipe. We always keep a can of clams in our pantry for a quick clam sauce. We always stress making dishes "to your taste." Thank you for taking the time to comment. Happy cooking!
TonI
This was the best white clam sauce I've ever made
Toni
Best white clam sauce I ever made!
Toni Schreffler
This is the best white clam sauce I’ve ever made! Highly recommended
Marisa Franca
Thank you, Toni!! I'm so glad you enjoyed it -- we do it. And we love the simplicity. Buon appetito!
Cynthia Atkinson
This clam sauce was very good. I’m not sure if I would use the cornstarch thickening again because I could taste the cornstarch. I also bumped up the spices, primarily the red pepper flakes, for more flavor. Otherwise, this recipe is a keeper!
Marisa Franca
Hello, Cynthia. We like using the cornstarch for a bit thicker sauce. You could use less or not at all. It's up to you. I'm glad you like the recipe. I taught my oldest son this before he left for college - he liked to make it when he entertained.