Linguine with Clam Sauce

What’s there to say about this Italian-American classic other than, “red or white?” Linguine with clam sauce comes in either a red tomato-based version, or a white version with cream or white wine.

Today we present to you a red version, with a tomato-based, clam-juice infused sauce, dressed up with some fennel and a little dash of anise liqueur.

Why the licorice note from the fennel and anise? Trust me. It just goes well with tomato sauce and seafood.

Funny thing, my dad hates, and I mean truly despises, licorice. But he gobbles down Italian sausage like there’s no tomorrow, and the defining spice in sweet Italian sausage is fennel seed.

Certain flavors just enhance others, and in this case the licorice flavor from the fennel and anise liqueur makes the clam sauce sparkle. (By the way, you can skip the liqueur if you want, you’ll just have a more subtle licorice note from the fennel.)

Do you have a favorite clams with pasta dish? Please let us know about it in the comments.

Linguine with Clam Sauce Recipe

Scrub the clams in the shell well with cold water to remove any grit sticking to the shells. If you have any clams whose shells remain open after you've rinsed them, set them on the counter and tap them; if the shell closes in a minute or two, the clam is alive, if not, it's dead and you'll want to discard it.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds small clams in the shell, scrubbed clean
• 1 15-ounce can of whole baby clams
• 4 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium yellow or white onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 1 small or 1/2 large fennel bulb, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped (4 teaspoons)
• 1/3 cup ouzo, Sambuca, Pernod or other anise-flavored liqueur (optional)
• 1 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes
• 1-2 teaspoons sugar
• Salt
• Fronds from the fennel bulb, minced
• Linguine (can sub any long shaped pasta, like spaghetti or fettuccine)

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