Linguine with White Clam Sauce

It was early November when a group of friends unexpectedly appeared at my door step. I hadn't planned on cooking that evening; I was actually looking forward to binge watching "Game of Thrones" over a bowl of cereal. I didn't want to disappoint my friends and hoped one of my many cookbooks had the perfect recipe. I was relieved when I found a simple recipe for a pasta dish that I had the ingredients for AND would feed everyone that came over. With a little help from my friends, we created a delicious meal that was made even better by the amazing dinner company. Bon Appétit!

Ingredients:

48 cherrystone clams

1 cup olive oil

4 garlic cloves, sliced thin

0.5 tsp red pepper flakes

0.5 cup dry white wine (optional)

2 tsp dried oregano

2 lb linguine

4 tbsp chopped parsley

To taste --- black pepper

Directions:

1. Open the clams. Strain and reserve 1 pt, 500 mL) of their juice. Chop the clams coarsely.

2. Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan. Add the garlic and brown it very lightly. Do not let it get too brown, or it will be bitter.

3. Add the red pepper flakes and then, very carefully, add the wine. (If the pan is very hot, you may want to first cool it a little to prevent dangerous spattering when the liquid is added.) Reduce the wine by half.

4. Add the reserved clam juice and reduce by half.

5. Add the oregano.

6. Drop the linguine into boiling, salted water and boil al dente. Drain and plate.

7. While the linguine is boiling, add the chopped clams and the parsley to the olive oil mixture. Heat gently, just until the clams are hot. Do not overcook them, or they will be tough.

8. Add pepper to taste. (Because clams are salty, the sauce will probably not need any salt, but taste to make sure.)

9. Spoon the sauce over the hot linguine and serve at once.

10. Many people prefer this dish without parmesan cheese, but you may want to provide it on the side for those who want it.

Portions: 10

Yield: 120.0 oz

Portion Size: 12 oz