VEGETARIAN (pesci, lacto): Linguini ala Vongole

[laughingwillow]

Mrs lw was kind enough to bring home a sack-o-live littleneck clams from the market Saturday so I was lucky enough to enjoy one of my favorite meals last night.

3-5 lbs fresh clams in shell
head of garlic (chopped)
1/2 bottel dry white wine (We used Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc, 2000 vintage from New Zealand)
8 oz bottle clam juice
1/2 lemon
1 chopped roma tomato
basil
oregeno
black pepper
olive oil
1/2 stick butter
pasta

Saute chopped garlic briefly in olive oil coating bottom of large stock pot. Add wine before garlic starts to brown. Bring to boil and reduce by 1/2.

(At this point, I like to start heating the water to cook pasta. Depending on the variety used, the pasta should take about the same amount of time to cook as the clams.)

Add clam juice, basil, oregeno, juice of lemon, butter and black pepper (to garlic/wine) and return to boil. Add scrubbed clams to stock pot and cover. It will take five minutes or so at high heat to bring pot back to boil. When steam becomes visible around lid, shake stock pot and reduce heat to medium. The clams will take from about 5 to 7 minutes to finish at this point. When majority of clams have opened, they are done. Sprinkle tomato over clams, shake pot once again. Remove from heat and ladle those that have opened over a bed of linguini or angel hair pasta. We like to sprinkle parmigiana cheese before digging in, even though many experts claim that practice isn't correct. Don't forget the crusty bread and a large bowl in which to deposit the empty shells.

lw