My take on linguine vongole includes a lot of vegetables for an added freshness. I also use clam juice, as well as the traditional wine, for a more complex sauce.

　　

Ingredients

Serves 4

　　Fresh Pasta Dough (page 249) or 8 ounces store-bought fresh linguine

　　Semolina flour, if using fresh dough

　　1/3 cup bottled clam juice

　　3 tablespoons dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc

　　Kosher salt

　　3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

　　1/3 cup finely diced carrot

　　1/3 cup finely diced leek, white and pale green parts only

　　1/4 cup finely diced celery

　　1 tablespoon minced garlic

　　1/4 teaspoon minced fresh red Thai chile

　　4 dozen littleneck clams (about 5 pounds), well scrubbed

　　1 teaspoon crushed red chile flakes, ground finely in a spice grinder, or 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

　　1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, thinly sliced

　　

Step 1

If using dough, roll the dough through a pasta machine on each setting from widest to narrowest. Roll once more through the narrowest setting. Cut the dough into 12-inch-long sheets with a sharp knife, then pass the sheets through the linguine cutter. Toss with semolina flour to prevent sticking. You can cover the pasta with a damp paper towel, then plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

　　

Step 2

Stir together the clam juice and wine. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it generously.

　　

Step 3

Heat the oil in a large sauté pan with a lid over medium-high heat. Add the carrot, leek, celery, garlic, chile, and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, until golden, about 4 minutes. Add the clams and clam juice mixture, cover, and cook, shaking the pan occasionally, just until the clams open, about 5 minutes.

　　

Step 4

Meanwhile, add the linguine to the boiling water and cook until al dente, about 3 minutes. Drain and add to the clam mixture. Cook, tossing gently, until the pasta is glazed with the sauce.

　　

Step 5

Transfer to shallow serving bowls and sprinkle the ground chile all over. Garnish with the parsley and serve immediately.

　　Reprinted with permission from Home Cooking with Jean-Georges: My Favorite Simple Recipes by Jean-Georges Vongerichten with Genevieve Ko. Copyright © 2011 by Jean-Georges Vongerichten; photographs copyright © 2011 by John Kernick. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Jean-Georges Vongerichten is one of the most influential chefs in the world, having single-handedly redefined haute French cuisine, lightening and refining it by adding select Asian accents. He is the chef-owner of dozens of restaurants in fourteen cities around the world. His flagship restaurant, Jean Georges, at New York's Columbus Circle, is one of six restaurants in the United States to have been awarded three coveted Michelin stars; it received four stars from the New York Times. The winner of multiple James Beard Foundation awards, he lives in New York City and Waccabuc, New York, with his family.Genevieve Ko is a cookbook author and the senior food editor at Good Housekeeping magazine. She has written for Martha Stewart Living, Gourmet, and Fine Cooking and lives in New York City with her family.