I’ve made many pasta-with-clams recipes. This is the current, simplest, and I believe best version. My mouth waters just thinking about it; I’d say three of the best meals I’ve had in the last six months were just this. Is that too hard a sell? Try it. (Mark Bittman)

 

Salt

Good olive oil as needed

24* hardshell (“littleneck”) clams, the smaller the better, scrubbed and dried in a salad spinner or a towel

¼ cup (a little splash) of good white wine (or use water)

6 to 8 ounces linguine or other long pasta

1 tablespoon, more or less, minced garlic

Dried red chile flakes to taste

½ cup chopped parsley

 

Salt a pot of water for pasta and bring it to a boil. Cook the pasta.

 

Put olive oil in a pan large enough to hold the clams in one layer; be generous – the oil should thickly coat the bottom. Heat until shimmery, then add the clams and, quickly, the white wine. There may be some spattering but it’s worth it; don’t cover the pan; keep the heat medium-high to high, depending on your stove.

 

The clams will open one by one, and exude a lot of liquid. (You probably will not need to salt this dish but you’ll see later.) Keep cooking until the pasta is nearly done. When the clams are all, or mostly open, add the garlic and chile. Stir a few times, drain the pasta, and toss it with the clam mixture and the parsley. Cook if necessary, tossing, until the pasta is perfect.

 

Add salt if necessary — you might also add a little splash of olive oil — and serve. Do not fall for the trap of discarding clams that appear not to have opened; just open them with a butter knife. If the clams were unbroken and tightly sealed to begin with, they are fine.

 

* You can use 36 if they’re real small or you just want more. Or you can use cockles, which are tiny, and use 48. Your call. All should be firmly closed – any that you can pry open with your fingers are dead and should be discarded. And don’t buy any with broken shells.

 

Makes: 2 servings. 

Time: 30 minutes.