DiningBuzz! - Best pasta with clam sauce?

I'm a big fan of linguine con vongole / spaghetti alle vongole (pasta with clams in a white wine sauce). My favorite thus far was at Osteria Al Portego in Venice, but I've also had good versions in Trieste and here in NYC. Any other fans willing to share recommendations?

i would recommend steering clear of clams in venice. read donna leon's "sea of troubles"

google puts it in the wrong place. use Sestiere Castello, 6014, Venice, Italy for an address.

I'm a big fan of linguine con vongole / spaghetti alle vongole (pasta with clams in a white wine sauce). My favorite thus far was at Osteria Al Portego in Venice, but I've also had good versions in Trieste and here in NYC. Any other fans willing to share recommendations?

I can recommend a place in West Hollywood called Phillipe (Chow).
When you get there, look for the item on the menu with Clam Sauce... I really don't remember what was in it, but it doesn't matter.
In all my travels, I have never experienced a clam sauce that tastes so good!!!

Toscana in Brentwood does a good version. OTOH, I would prefer having just a nice order of steamed clams at Milo and Olive in Santa Monica. www.miloandolive.com

i would recommend steering clear of clams in venice. read donna leon's "sea of troubles"

google puts it in the wrong place. use Sestiere Castello, 6014, Venice, Italy for an address.

Oh No!! :( The title of the book pretty much tells me what I want to know (or don't want to know). Of course, I have had the best shellfish in VCE, particularly at A La Testiere or Fiachetteria Toscana.

Thanks, guys. Sounds like I need to head to the West Coast! I've never tried steamed clams, but I'll definitely add them to my must-try list.

Just out of curiosity, what makes some iterations of this dish transcendent and others merely passable, in your view?

For me, the best spaghetti/linguine with clams has plump, meaty clams and a flavorful sauce (wine, garlic, herbs, maybe even a hint of spice). YMMV.

In New York I believe the best pasta with clam sauce involves several stops


Any of the farmers markets when the fisherman is there, and clams are in season. Ask them when they will have clams
Olive Oil and company in Grand Central or some of the other great places in the city for olive oil
fresh garlic from the farmers market when you are buying the clams
fresh oregano from the farmers market
Your favorite pasta


It's pretty much impossible to beat fresh stuff you make at home assuming you have fresh clams picked the day before or the morning you buy them

It's pretty much impossible to beat fresh stuff you make at home assuming you have fresh clams picked the day before or the morning you buy them

This, of course, assumes one knows how to cook it correctly. That may or may not be the case here.

This, of course, assumes one knows how to cook it correctly. That may or may not be the case here.

Unfortunately, this is the root of the problem. The cook in our household, Mr NYCFlyGirl, isn't a big fan of clams, so neither of us knows how to make it correctly. I suspect cordelli's right that we could learn to make it at home (and we do have a great greenmarket nearby), but for now it's a treat I look for when eating out, either in NYC or when traveling.

The dish doesn't require genius in the kitchen, just good
ingredients and the sense to salt the pasta water sufficiently.
No cheese; a small amount of oregano; a mountain of
garlic. Wine optional.

Just out of curiosity, what makes some iterations of this dish transcendent and others merely passable, in your view?


The right type of clams (I prefer middle necks or cherrystones, wild, not farmed, and not processed) and they are fresh and juicy
Spectacular olive oil
strong flavored fresh garlic
properly cooked pasta
Prepared so the juice of the clams flavor the dish, not have the clams steamed over a pot releasing all their juice and placed on top of the pasta like so many places do it (so the idiot customer won't return it as tasting too "clammy")

I agree 150% with the above, a wonderful dish to enjoy, adding also fresh and aromatic chopped Italian Parsley ( Petroselinum hortense ).

Cordelli,

Any recommendations on brands/types of olive oil to buy?

Biggest mistake people make is cook the heck out of the clams. Steaming them until open is one sure way of overcooking.
Best to open the clam and cook the meat no more than a minute.

Cordelli,

Any recommendations on brands/types of olive oil to buy?

We're currently working on a couple of bottles we brought back from some old woman with some olive trees and a hand painted sign on a dirt road from our last trip to Italy. She's in the GPS for the next trip over.

In the US I've become real partial to a store in Sonoma, they make their own and do mail order. Figones of California. A few of the wineries we do business with make some good oils too, if I'm buying wine I may fill one slot with a bottle of oil.

In New York, Fairway has some very good oils and most are at reasonable prices (reasonable price is of course totally subjective), and the Olive Oil company in Grand Central has some good oils, but is way too pricey.

I prefer a very strong grassy peppery dark green cloudy oil, which can be very hard to find unless the place has a great variety of oils. There's just not a market for that in the US. It's an acquired taste that like many things may take some building up to, but find a place that has several different types and lets you taste them. At first the straw/grass/pepper may be a bit strong, but give it a few tries and you may find it's really worth the extra money.

At Old Spaghetti Factory.. I like my back ribs with spaghetti/clam sauce.. perfect combo..

The right type of clams (I prefer middle necks or cherrystones, wild, not farmed, and not processed) and they are fresh and juicy
Spectacular olive oil
strong flavored fresh garlic
properly cooked pasta
Prepared so the juice of the clams flavor the dish, not have the clams steamed over a pot releasing all their juice and placed on top of the pasta like so many places do it (so the idiot customer won't return it as tasting too "clammy")

It's 9:30am.

And not to early for clams. Man, I'm hungry. My SO is vegetarian and even she wants this.

It's 9:30am.

And not to early for clams. Man, I'm hungry. My SO is vegetarian and even she wants this.

Time for her to become pescetarian :)

Since you mention it, just last week, the Wahoo was so fresh on Kauai she tried a small bite. And didn't die :p

The right type of clams (I prefer middle necks or cherrystones, wild, not farmed, and not processed) and they are fresh and juicy
Spectacular olive oil
strong flavored fresh garlic
properly cooked pasta
Prepared so the juice of the clams flavor the dish, not have the clams steamed over a pot releasing all their juice and placed on top of the pasta like so many places do it (so the idiot customer won't return it as tasting too "clammy")


cordelli, your last point is the reason I haven't tried to make it myself -- I don't know how to cook the clams properly so that they flavor the sauce. Any tips?

regarding olive oil. the bottles are dated. after a year, time to get fresh oil.

cordelli, your last point is the reason I haven't tried to make it myself -- I don't know how to cook the clams properly so that they flavor the sauce. Any tips?

Yeah, because of this thread I bought a sack of clams and made some last night. It was wonderful.


Because of the need some posters feel to argue the most simple of posts, I have deleted the way I make my clam sauce from this post. It was certainly not meant to bring on attacks implying I don't have clue what I'm doing. I don't feel it's worth the hassles, and in the future should somebody come across it I don't see the need for what has to be one of the stupidest discussions on Flyertalk to be brought back to the top of the list.

It really sucks that some people feel the need to get personal, it is what it is.

cordelli, glad to have inspired what sounds like a great meal. Thanks for the step-by-step instructions.

I still wouldn't mind restaurant recommendations for pasta with clams, though, for when I'm traveling. :cool:

In a deep skillet (or any pan the clams will fit into you can cover) while the pasta is cooking, I sauteed some hot pepper and pressed fresh garlic. Just enough oil so that they didn't stick, until the garlic started turning light brown.

I put the clams into the skillet without adding anything else to it. Sometimes we add a half cup of wine but didn't feel like opening a bottle last night. Cover it, and wait for the clams to release their juices and start opening. Remove them as they open to a dish or whatever. As soon as the heat gets to them they will start releasing juice, which will boil and steam to help them open.

Seems to me that by following this recommendation (lightly browning the garlic before adding the clams), the garlic would be burnt to hell by the time the clams open and release their juice.

Saute the hot peppers then add the garlic and clams at the same time.

cordelli, glad to have inspired what sounds like a great meal. Thanks for the step-by-step instructions.

I still wouldn't mind restaurant recommendations for pasta with clams, though, for when I'm traveling. :cool:

+1.. Cordelli's post is inspiring me to go to a restaurant and eat freshly made clam sauce on spaghetti.. just like mama makes it, but not at home..:D

Seems to me that by following this recommendation (lightly browning the garlic before adding the clams), the garlic would be burnt to hell by the time the clams open and release their juice.

Saute the hot peppers then add the garlic and clams at the same time.

Posts like this totally crack me up.

If you want to add the garlic later, go ahead, there's no clam police.

I'll continue to cook it the way I have for ages, never once having the garlic "burnt to hell"

Posts like this totally crack me up.

If you want to add the garlic later, go ahead, there's no clam police.

I'll continue to cook it the way I have for ages, never once having the garlic "burnt to hell"

Eeeeeeasy there, Trigger.
Simply made an observation on your method and commented upon it. Chill a bit, eh?

But putting the garlic and clams in at the same time is
likely to cause a less good-tasting dish. Don't listen to
the man behind the curtain: saute the garlic first in
ample oil. If you're worried about the stuff burning,
which you shouldn't, if you have any technique at all,
remove it with a slotted spoon and return it later when
all is nice and wet.

But putting the garlic and clams in at the same time is
likely to cause a less good-tasting dish. Don't listen to
the man behind the curtain: saute the garlic first in
ample oil. If you're worried about the stuff burning,
which you shouldn't, if you have any technique at all,
remove it with a slotted spoon and return it later when
all is nice and wet.

Ouch, a cooking take down!!!

PSU, you going to take that abuse? :D

Garlic, finely chopped, is never cooked after the first hint of brown color along the edges.

Beyond that, you might as well stick to garlic powder sprinkled on the end result.

What's with all this talk about lumpy textures? Straight up with just clams for this FTer.:)

Garlic, finely chopped, is never cooked after the first hint of brown color along the edges.

Beyond that, you might as well stick to garlic powder sprinkled on the end result.

...which would actually be better than burnt garlic. Burnt garlic is a flavor in itself, sometimes welcome in certain dishes, but it is not the flavor of garlic as it is conventionally understood.

Whenever I show anyone the basics of cooking, I always have them burn the garlic at least once, then taste it, and then force them to throw away whatever they were cooking in the garlic. Teaches you a lesson real quick. :)

Whoever was asking for olive oil... for cooking, you may actually be better off using pure olive oil as a base for sauteeing your garlic and clams etc, and then finishing off the sauce with some nice fancy/fruity extra vergine at the end. You will save your oil from smoking, and you will have the freshest olive notes in your sauce.

You all are out to lunch. I sous-vied my garlic!!!!

You all are out to lunch. I sous-vied my garlic!!!!

Fancyboy.

But putting the garlic and clams in at the same time is
likely to cause a less good-tasting dish. Don't listen to
the man behind the curtain: saute the garlic first in
ample oil. If you're worried about the stuff burning,
which you shouldn't, if you have any technique at all,
remove it with a slotted spoon and return it later when
all is nice and wet.

My point builds on this: nerd is correct. Nothing is worse than burnt or even browned garlic. It should be avoided at all costs. Any cook worth their salt will tell you that.

If I'm reading cordelli's recipe correctly, I see no way in which the garlic won't be rendered distasteful and browned. As cordelli stated, first the garlic is lightly browned in oil (already somewhat of a no-no). Then, as stated, the clams are tossed in and covered to cook/open them. That should take how long? My guess is roughly 4-5 mins. Sure, they will start to open and release their juices but that will take a bit of time too. Anyone who has sauteed garlic before knows how quickly it goes from perfect to 'oh ****'. Four-five mins of further sauteeing over a hot pan after already being lightly browned, I'm convinced, will burn the garlic.

I still stand by my earlier comment... Unless I misread or cordelli didn't explain it well, if one follows that recipe, their garlic will be effing burnt rendering the dish sub-par.

saute the garlic first in
ample oil.
... and therein lies part of the problem with what cordelli posted...

I sauteed some hot pepper and pressed fresh garlic. Just enough oil so that they didn't stick...

It's sad that people feel the need to constantly keep harassing me over my post.

To avoid the certain death anybody who dares make their clam sauce the way I have made it for years and everybody loves, I will remove it from the thread.

It's really sad people have to make everything a personal attack.

It's really irritating that one poster feels the need to go on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on because they can't comprehend even the simplest of cooking techniques.

So please continue on, there's nothing else to add to this thread.

Uhm, just to support what Cordelli wrote... often times in recipes that call for garlic and onions (pretty much everything I make, for example), experienced kitchen hands will tell the uninitiated to put the onions in the oil first, and then the garlic, in order to keep the garlic from burning.

This is a actually incorrect. The point of sauteing the garlic first, is to get the natural garlic oil released into your hot cooking fat, (be it olive oil, or whatever).

If you add the onions first, you're adding a massive amount of water to the equation, and cooling the cooking fat to the point where it is no longer doing its job.

The way to control this is to control the temp of the cooking fat itself (gas stove!!!!!). You can avoid burning the garlic very easily this way.

Oh, and stop it with it the attacks on Cordelli. He's an Italian in Connecticut. He knows people.

Looks like Google has cached the recipe which started the simple questions/concerns on how the garlic was cooked repeated personal attacks. :)

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:08NdJAROrp8J:www.flyertalk.com/forum/diningbuzz/1305296-best-pasta-clam-sauce-2.html+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=firefox-a

I will trust opinion and knowledge about pasta and garlic from someone name Cordelli any day.

While not specific to this dish, I've cooked and watched my mother cook for years and we use a similar method with regards to how we handle garlic and it rarely burns. If it does, we generally only have ourselves to blame, because usually we didn't mind the stove or somesuch thing.

Not a big onion fan.. but lately, taking a little for taste..

but seared onions with a nice flavor to the food.. yes..

Hopefully you're ok Cordelli..