Nana’s ‘Vongs’
You know when someone asks, what would your last meal on Earth be? This is mine.
Linguine con Vongole— or as my family affectionately calls it, ‘Vongs’ — is a longtime staple of my Nana’s kitchen. It’s perhaps the most nostalgic dish of my childhood, a delicious reminder of my summers spent on Cape Cod.
So, what makes Nana’s linguine and clams the best of the best? Hers is slightly ‘red’, using just enough tomato sauce for added flavor. The sauce also cooks down longer than many recipes, to thicken, adding the clams at the very end to avoid overcooking. I may be biased, but it’s beyond.
If you’re a “real Italian,” according to Nana, skip the grated Parm on this one (fish and cheese is borderline sacrilegious, for many) — though you can probably guess where I stand on that matter.
Let’s cook!
You’ll need:
1 lb linguine, or other long pasta
~18 fresh littleneck clams
8 oz clam juice
6-8 oz can of chopped clams (with juices)
8 oz tomato sauce/purée
1 shallot
5 cloves of garlic
1/2 c dry white white (i.e. Sauv Blanc)
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper, or more to taste
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 bunch fresh parsley
EVOO, fresh-cracked pepper
Makes 4 servings.
Steps:
First and foremost, thoroughly clean your littlenecks. About ~30 min before you begin cooking, place the clams in a bowl of very cold water and let soak. After soaking, use a hard-bristled brush to scrub, set aside.
Meanwhile, peel and mince the shallot, and thinly slice the garlic. Roughly chop a good amount of parsley—about a cup—set aside.
Put on a pot of water for the pasta, and begin the sauce. Coat the bottom of a wide sauté pan with a good amount of EVOO, heat over medium. Once hot, add the shallot, garlic & crushed red pepper— sauté 2-3 min, only until softened, not browned.
Add the clam juice—including the juice from the canned clams!— and the white wine. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 8-10 min until reduced by ~half.
Add tomato sauce and a half-cup of chopped parsley to the sauce, and season with salt and pepper. Continue to simmer and cook down until condensed, ~15 min.
Once the water is boiling, salt liberally and thrown down the pasta. At the same time, add both the littlenecks and the chopped clams to the sauce, and cover. No peeking!
Just before al dente, reserve some of the pasta water. Check the clams to make sure they’ve all opened— discard any clams that have not opened whatsoever.
Into the sauce, toss the drained pasta, two pads of butter, and a handful of parsley. If needed, add a few splashes of pasta water to thicken.Toss well, and serve in bowls.