Ree Drummond’s Pioneer Woman linguine with clam sauce pairs canned clams with garlic, white wine, and cream at about 500 calories per serving. The whole dish comes together in 20 minutes from her website, so it works for a weeknight dinner without planning ahead.
Most white clam sauces stop at olive oil, garlic, and wine, but Ree stirs in heavy cream and parmesan to make it richer. That addition turns a brothy pasta into something closer to an Alfredo, and the reserved clam juice keeps the sauce from getting too thick.
The detail that holds the whole dish together is saving a cup of starchy pasta water before draining, because that water binds the sauce. Skip it and the cream tightens around the linguine as it cools, so you end up with sticky pasta instead of glossy strands.
Source: thepioneerwoman.com, no specific cookbook credited on the page
Pioneer Woman Linguine With Clam Sauce
Course: Pasta, DinnerCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy6
servings5
minutes15
minutes500
kcal20
minutesCanned clams sear with garlic in butter and olive oil until the skillet smells toasted, then white wine and cream build the sauce around them. The drained linguine tosses directly in the pan, and a shower of parmesan and parsley finishes each serving.
Ingredients
Kosher salt, to taste
1 pound linguine
- For the sauce:
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons salted butter, divided
2 (10-ounce) cans chopped clams, drained and juice reserved
4 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup white wine
Juice of 1/2 lemon, plus lemon wedges for serving
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped, plus more for serving
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- For serving:
Freshly grated parmesan cheese
Directions
- Boil the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then cook the linguine according to the package directions for al dente.
- Reserve pasta water: Scoop out 1 cup of the starchy cooking water before draining, since you need it to loosen the sauce later.
- Heat the skillet: Warm the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Cook the clams and garlic: Add the drained clams and minced garlic, then stir and cook until fragrant, about 3 minutes.
- Add the wine: Pour in the white wine and scrape the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon to lift any browned bits.
- Reduce the wine: Cook until the liquid reduces and the sauce looks less watery, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Build the sauce: Stir in 1/2 cup of the reserved clam juice and the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter until melted.
- Add cream and lemon: Reduce the heat to medium-low, then squeeze in the lemon juice and pour in the heavy cream.
- Season: Sprinkle in the parsley and black pepper, then taste and add kosher salt as needed.
- Simmer: Let the sauce cook at a low simmer for about 3 minutes until everything is heated through.
- Toss the pasta: Pour the drained linguine into the skillet with 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water, then toss until glossy.
- Serve: Top each plate with parmesan, extra parsley, and lemon wedges on the side.
FAQs
Can I use fresh clams instead of canned?
Fresh littleneck or Manila clams work here, but they add about 10 minutes of steaming before you can start the sauce. Scrub the shells, then steam them in the white wine until they open, which gives you both the clam meat and a flavorful cooking liquid.
Discard any clams that stay closed after steaming, since those are not safe to eat. Pull the meat from the shells and chop it before adding it to the sauce, because whole clams are harder to twirl with linguine.
Why does the recipe use both olive oil and butter?
Olive oil raises the smoke point of the fat in the skillet, which lets you cook at medium-high heat without the butter burning. Butter alone browns too fast at that temperature, so the combination gives you rich flavor from the butter and heat tolerance from the oil.
Ree calls for salted butter here, which means you should taste the sauce before adding extra kosher salt. The clam juice already carries salt on its own, and going heavy on seasoning before tasting can push the dish past the point of fixing.
What pasta works instead of linguine?
Spaghetti is the closest swap because it holds the sauce the same way and cooks in the same time. Fettuccine works too, though the wider noodle picks up more cream per bite and makes the dish feel heavier.
Short pasta like penne or rigatoni catches clam pieces inside the tubes, which changes the eating experience from twirling to scooping. Angel hair is too thin for this sauce, since the weight of the cream and clams drags the strands into a dense clump.
What goes well with this linguine at dinner?
A green salad with a sharp vinaigrette cuts through the cream in the sauce, so the meal does not feel too heavy. Ina Garten’s cheese puffs make a warm appetizer that pairs well, because the Gruyere and the parmesan echo each other.
Crusty bread is almost required here, since the sauce pools at the bottom of the bowl and you want something to soak it up. A dry white wine like Pinot Grigio matches what went into the pan, and keeping the same grape in the glass ties the flavors together.
Can I reheat leftover linguine with clam sauce?
The pasta keeps in the fridge for up to 2 days in a sealed container, though the sauce thickens as it cools. Reheat it in a skillet over medium-low with a splash of clam juice or pasta water, which loosens the cream back to its original consistency.
Avoid the microwave for this dish, because it heats unevenly and turns the clams rubbery in the hot spots. The stovetop method takes 4 to 5 minutes and lets you stir constantly, so every strand reheats at the same pace.
