The clams in this dish are steamed with tomatoes, fresh basil, and red pepper flakes. The flavors are simple and delicious. Dinner in under an hour never tasted so good.

　　

Ingredients

serves 4 to 6

　　Sea salt

　　1 pound linguine

　　Extra-virgin olive oil

　　4 anchovy fillets, chopped

　　6 garlic cloves, shaved

　　1 onion, diced

　　1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

　　1/4 cup capers, drained

　　1 cup hand-torn fresh basil

　　2 (28-ounce) cans whole plum tomatoes, drained

　　48 littleneck clams, scrubbed

　　1/2 cup dry white wine

　　Juice of 1 lemon

　　Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (optional)

　　

Step 1

Fill a large pasta pot with water and place over high heat. Add a generous amount of salt and bring to a boil. Add the pasta, stir to separate, and cook for 10 minutes, until al dente. Drain well and toss with a little oil so the pasta doesn’t stick together.

　　

Step 2

Heat a 2-count drizzle of olive oil in a large pot and set over medium heat. Add the anchovies, garlic, onion, red pepper flakes, capers, and 1/2 cup of basil. Sauté for a minute, until fragrant. Hand-crush the tomatoes to break them up into chunks. Pour them into the pan (be careful—nothing splashes quite like tomatoes) and simmer down the tomatoes until pulpy. This will take about 15 minutes. Nestle the clams in the tomato mixture and toss everything together with a large spoon. Pour in the wine and cover the pot to let the clams steam open, about 10 minutes. Add the linguine; then fold in the remaining basil, lemon juice, and some salt and pepper. Give it a good toss with more olive oil. Serve the pasta family-style on a large platter.

　　Reprinted with permission from Tyler Florence's Real Kitchen by Tyler Florence. © 2003 Clarkson Potter