CLAMS IN GARLIC SAUCE

Clams In Garlic Sauce image

Provided by Marian Burros

Categories dinner, quick, pastas, main course

Time 30m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 14

Ingredients

1 tablespoon plus 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 shallots, peeled and sliced
3 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
2 sprigs fresh thyme
5 sprigs Italian parsley
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 pounds Maine butter clams (or littlenecks or mussels)
1 cup dry white wine
4 cups bottled clam juice or chicken broth, or more if desired
1 cup drained garlic confit (recipe follows)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Oil from garlic confit, optional
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound linguine, cooked al dente

Steps:

In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add shallots, garlic, thyme, parsley and bay leaf. Saute until shallots are translucent, about 3 minutes. Add clams and wine, raise heat to high, and cover. Boil until all of the clams have opened, about 3 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer clams to a bowl, then cover.
Add clam juice to the saucepan, and boil over high heat until liquid is reduced to about 1 cup. Remove and discard bay leaf, parsley and thyme sprigs. Transfer contents of pan to a blender, and add garlic confit and lemon juice. With blender running, add remaining 1/2 cup olive oil in a slow steady stream until sauce is smooth and emulsified. For extra garlic flavor, add some of the oil from garlic confit if desired.
Season sauce with salt and pepper to taste. Adjust thickness of sauce with more clam juice, if desired. Toss with linguine, and top with clams. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 986, UnsaturatedFat 27 grams, Carbohydrate 102 grams, Fat 34 grams, Fiber 6 grams, Protein 57 grams, SaturatedFat 5 grams, Sodium 2547 milligrams, Sugar 7 grams, TransFat 0 grams