Linguine with Clam Sauce
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Ready in 30 minutes, this Linguine with Clam Sauce (and seared scallops!!) is surprisingly easy to make and guaranteed to impress! Best part is most of the ingredients are in your pantry already!
Better than what you’d order from a fancy restaurant and much easier using canned clams, this pasta dish is a guaranteed hit for seafood lovers and pairs perfectly with warm crusty bread.
Why You’ll Love this Linguine with Canned Clams
Linguine With Clam Sauce is one of those dishes that sounds so fancy, like something you would only order in a restaurant. But just like this easy piccata sauce, it’s actually one of the easiest and most affordable dishes you can make at home!
I added seared scallops to mine, but that is totally optional!
- Quick and easy: Everything can be cooked and prepped in the time it takes to cook the linguine, so dinner is ready in less than 30 minutes! You’ll love the creamy white clam sauce and the perfectly cooked scallops.
- Restaurant quality: Elegant and sophisticated, this is an excellent way to impress family and friends.
- Kid-Friendly. This pasta dish is also an easy way to introduce your kids to seafood. The chopped clams are so small and almost undetectable hiding in the buttery garlic sauce. It’s even easy to serve the buttery garlic noodles without any clams!
My mom used to make this for me as a kid, it was one of her weekly rotations and it was my favorite! We used to fight over the chopped clams at the bottom of the bowl.
I’m changing things up with her normal recipe and adding seared scallops! So this is the ULTIMATE seafood pasta recipe. They go so well with linguine and clam sauce.
If you’re worried about cooking scallops, don’t worry, I break it down and make it REALLY simple.
Linguine and Clam Sauce Ingredients
A small handful of ingredients make up this easy pasta recipe. I usually have most of these things at home already and the only thing I run out to grab are the scallops!
- Linguine – Another type of long pasta like spaghetti or angel hair pasta can be used, but I like the width of linguine.
- Garlic – I like to add lots of garlic for maximum flavor.
- Yellow Onion
- Seasoning – You’ll need some dried oregano and red pepper flakes for a little punch of heat.
- Cooking Wine – A dry white wine like pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc are both great options that will bring the flavors of Italian restaurants right to your kitchen. You can also use a more shelf stable cooking wine.
- Chopped Clams – Using canned clams cuts down on prep time and infuses the cooked pasta with rich flavor. If you want to add in some fresh clams, I recommend using baby clams.
- Lemon – Pairs perfectly with the seafood flavors with the perfect amount of tangy citrus.
- Scallops – Perfectly cooked scallops are a great way to double down on the seafood and make this dish even more delicious.
- Fresh Parsley – Great for pops of color and a bit of herbal flavor.
How To Make Linguine With Clam Sauce
- Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the linguine and cook according to box instructions.
- Sauté the garlic and onion. Heat a large skillet on medium heat with 1 tbsp of olive oil. Sauté the garlic, onion, oregano, and red pepper flakes for about 2 minutes, or until the onions begin to soften. Then add the white wine and cook until the wine has reduced by half, stirring occasionally.
- Finish the clam sauce. Add the butter and stir until melted. Then add the clams and half their juices, lemon juice and lemon zest, and parsley. Reduce the heat to low and simmer. When the pasta is finished cooking, drain it and add it to the pan, then toss it in the clam sauce.
- Sear the scallops. Heat a large non-stick pan with 1/2 tbsp of good olive oil and 1 tbsp of butter on high heat. When the pan is HOT, add the scallops and cook for 3-4 minutes undisturbed. Flip the scallops add the remaining 1 tbsp of butter, and cook for 1 minute undisturbed until they turn opaque.
- Finish and serve. Add the scallops to the drained pasta and clam sauce and serve hot!
I know it’s frowned upon by Italians everywhere, but I really enjoy a sprinkle of parmesan cheese on my linguine alle vongole!
Tips for Searing Scallops for this Linguine and Clams Recipe
Cooking scallops at home might sound intimidating, but I promise it’s easy! If you follow my tips, you’ll have perfect scallops on the first try.
- Purchase dry packed day boat scallops. The best seared scallops start with the type of scallops you’re purchasing. Day boat scallops are the largest and if they are dry packed, they won’t shrink when you cook them.
- Use a non-stick pan. Some people swear by cast irons for searing scallops but mine always turn out the best when I use a non-stick pan.
- Use a combination of olive oil and butter. Using a small amount of olive oil will keep the scallops from burning and using butter will give them a
- Cook the scallops 90% on one side. This is what will get them the most perfect sear. If you flip them halfway through, they won’t be able to get that nice brown crust on the edges.
It’s important to keep the least amount of liquid in the pan as possible, so if it looks like you have too much, just stick the corner of a paper towel in the pan to soak up some of the oil.
What to serve with this Linguine and Clam Sauce Recipe
Any green vegetable (air fryer vegetables are my go-to because they’re so easy!) will go great with this recipe. I love to serve a bowl of pasta with broccolini, but I also suggest serving it with some warm homemade bread to soak up the garlicky white wine sauce!
Storage and Reheating
Linguine with canned clams is best served fresh but if you have leftovers, try to eat them within one day. To store, allow the leftovers to cool, then transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge.
This dish can be reheated in the microwave in a pinch, or you can add it back to a pot or skillet on the stove with a bit of oil or white wine to prevent it from drying out.
If you’re reheating scallops, I recommend heating a pan with 1/2 a tablespoon of butter and 1/2 a tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat and gently reheating the scallops on each side for 1-2 minutes.
Linguine with Clam Sauce Recipe FAQs
You can! The liquid is packed with flavor and it makes an excellent addition to your clam sauce!
You can add a splash at a time and give the sauce a taste to make sure it doesn’t get overpowering.
Just like how you can use the liquid from the can, rinsing off the clams can dilute their flavor a bit. You can add them right from the can!
Canned clams are already cooked and are also shelf stable until you open the can, so you can easily stock up and keep lots of canned clams on hand for whenever you need them.
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Linguine With Clams
Ingredients
Pasta
- 16 ounces linguine
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup yellow onion, diced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup dry white wine, or cooking wine
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 12 ounces chopped clams, canned
- 1 lemon, juice and zest
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Scallops
- 1 pound sea scallops
- 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
Instructions
For the linguine
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the linguine and cook according to box instructions.
- Heat a large non-stick pan on medium heat with 1 tbsp of olive oil. Sauté the garlic, onion, oregano, and red pepper flakes for about 2 minutes, or until the onions begin to soften. Then add the white wine and cook until the wine has reduced by half, stirring occasionally.
- Add the butter and stir until melted. Then add the clams and half their juices, lemon zest and juice, and parsley. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the linguine is ready. When the pasta is finished cooking, drain it and add it to the pan, then toss it in the clam sauce.
For the scallops
- Heat a large non-stick pan with 1/2 tbsp of olive oil and 1 tbsp of butter on high heat. When the pan is HOT, add the scallops and cook for 3-4 minutes undisturbed. Flip the scallops add the remaining 1 tbsp of butter, and cook for 1 minute undisturbed until they turn opaque.
- Add the scallops to the linguine with clam sauce and serve hot!
