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Linguine with Clams and Bacon
Recipes
Linguine with Clams and Bacon
2 servings
30 minutes total

Ingredients

  • 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
  • 1 leek, thinly sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • 1 shallot, thinly sliced
  • 12 littleneck clams, scrubbed
  • 3 slices thick cut bacon, sliced
  • 8 oz linguine pasta
  • ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 1 cup white wine (or chicken broth)
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • ⅓ cup fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons basil, coarsely chopped (optional)

Prep

    • Bring water to boil for pasta.
    • Halve tomatoes; cut leek in half and slice (white part only, about ½ cup); slice garlic and shallot.
    • Scrub and rinse clams and slice bacon (wash hands).

Steps

    1. Preheat large sauté pan on medium 2–3 minutes. Place bacon in pan. Cook 5–6 minutes; stirring occasionally or until bacon begins to brown (leaving 3 tablespoons drippings in pan). Cook pasta following package instructions; drain (reserving ¼ cup pasta water).
    2. Add tomatoes, leeks, garlic, shallots, and red pepper to bacon. Cook and stir 2–3 minutes or until fragrant. Increase heat to medium-high. Pour in wine and nestle clams in mixture; cover and steam 4–5 minutes or until clams open. Remove clams immediately from pan. Squeeze lemon for juice (2 tablespoons) and chop parsley.
    3. Add pasta, butter, lemon juice, and parsley to sauce. Cook and stir 2–3 minutes or until hot and sauce begins to thicken (add some reserved pasta water if it becomes dry). Serve clams over pasta and top with basil.