Linguine with Clam Sauce

Our linguine with clam sauce recipe is one of my mother's favorite pasta sauce recipes.

Clam sauce is so easy to make.

It is one of our easy dinner recipes and definitely a 30 minute meal, perfect for any night of the week.

This is a red clam sauce recipe. That just means it is a sauce with tomatoes. You can also cook a white clam sauce.

Adjust the amount of garlic and crushed red pepper flakes to your liking.

Cooking is all about getting it to taste the way you like it.

Linguine with Clam Sauce

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

2 - 10 ounce cans whole baby clams
2 tablespoons olive oil or salad oil
2 small garlic cloves minced
1 - 28 ounce can tomatoes
1 - 6 ounce can tomato paste
2 tablespoons minced parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon cracked pepper
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional - to your taste)
1 pound dry linguine

Drain clams and reserve the liquid in a small bowl. In a 3 quart saucepan, over medium heat, cook garlic in oil until it is lightly browned. Add the clam liquid, and remaining ingredients except the clams. Stir to mix well. Break up the tomatoes and heat the mixture to boiling. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes to blend flavors, stirring occasionally.

While the sauce is cooking, cook 1 pound of linguine or other pasta, fresh or packaged.

After the sauce has cooked for the 20 minutes, add the clams and heat though until the clams are heated.

Makes 4 servings.

• You may also use fresh clams, as shown in the picture above. Just clean them and add them to the sauce during the last few minutes of cooking time. They will steam and open in the sauce and their liquid will add flavor to the sauce, just like the canned clam liquid.