The Best of Fine Cooking — Real Italian 2017

swirl with your hands to dissolve the salt. Let sit for about

30 minutes at room temperature to purge any grit.

Without disturbing the sediment in the bowl, transfer

the clams to a colander and rinse with cold water. Discard

any open clams that don’t close when tapped.

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a rolling boil.

Put the clams and wine in a heavy-duty 5- to 6-quart

pot. Cover and cook over medium-high heat, shaking

the pot occasionally, until the clams have opened, 7 to

10 minutes.

Remove from the heat, uncover, and let sit until cool

enough to handle, about 5 minutes. Transfer the clams

from their shells to a medium bowl, leaving a few intact for

garnish, if you like. If using littlenecks, remove the tough

adductor muscles on each side of each clam. Discard any

clams that didn’t open during cooking.

Strain the cooking liquid through a sieve lined with

dampened cheesecloth or paper towels into the bowl.

Rinse and dry the pot.

Cook the pasta in the boiling water, stirring occasionally,

until slightly firmer than al dente, about 1 minute less

than package directions. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water,

and drain.

Meanwhile, warm 1/4 cup of the oil and the garlic in the

clam pot over medium-high heat until fragrant, about

30 seconds. Add the clams, including the ones in shells,

if using, and the cooking liquid, and bring to a simmer.

Season with 1/2 tsp. each salt and pepper. Keep warm on

low heat.

Add the drained pasta, the remaining 1/4 cup oil, the

parsley, and red pepper flakes, if using, to the sauce. Cook

over high heat for 1 minute to meld the flavors, thinning

out the sauce as needed with some of the reserved pasta

water. The pasta should be moist and well coated with

sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Distribute

among shallow bowls, and serve.

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