The LINGUINE WITH MUSSELS, CLAMS AND OLIVES are an excellent seafood first course, very tasty and perfect to serve as a main dish at a summer lunch. It’s a dish of Mediterranean tradition, present in many regions of our country, easy to make but so good it will always leave everyone satisfied. Naturally there are many variations, but the one I propose, well tested, is truly balanced and perfect.
The characteristic of the dish lies in the richness of the sauce based on these tasty shellfish, which must of course be very fresh, and good olives (I usually use Taggiasca, but choose your favorites). The preparation is very simple, as you will see, and you only need to pay attention to a few steps – quick cooking of the bivalves, careful straining of the cooking liquid, adding the right amount of chili, perfectly al dente pasta – to obtain a result to lick your lips, whether you have them or not…
SEE OTHER SEAFOOD FIRST COURSES:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 4 servings
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 14 oz linguine
- 1.1 lbs mussels
- 1.1 lbs clams
- 2 oz olives
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1 hot chili pepper (small)
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- to taste salt
- 1 bunch parsley
Tools
- 2 Pans
- 1 Pot
- 1 Colander
Steps
The preparation of LINGUINE WITH MUSSELS, CLAMS AND OLIVES is very simple and the result will delight you.
First, place the clams in salted water and let them purge for 1 hour. Meanwhile, clean the mussels.
Wash the mussels under cold running water. Check for encrustations and remove them, if necessary, with a metal scrubber or a knife.
Discard those with broken or open shells, remove the byssus (the cluster of filaments that protrudes) by pulling it with your fingers or a knife, and rinse the mussels again until the water runs clear.
In a large pot put a drizzle of oil and a garlic clove. Gently sauté it, add the well-drained mussels and clams, splash with the wine, cover with a lid and place them over high heat.
Let them open completely and let them cool slightly. Discard any that remain closed and shell half of the opened ones. Strain their liquid and set it aside.
In a large pan put a drizzle of oil, the chopped chili, the garlic clove and the olives sliced into rings. Sauté over low heat for 5 minutes, then add the shellfish liquid.
Meanwhile, cook the linguine in boiling salted water. Drain them still al dente into the pan with the sauce along with two or three ladles of their cooking water, rich in starch. Let them absorb the flavors, then add the shellfish.
With the heat off, add a drizzle of oil, the chopped parsley and mix well until you get a creamy, substantial sauce.
Plate and enjoy the LINGUINE WITH MUSSELS, CLAMS AND OLIVES while hot, sprinkling a little more parsley on top. If you want to give the dish an extra touch of freshness, you can add some grated lemon zest.
