Linguine with White Clam Sauce

When I was just out of graduate school, living in a triple-decker in Belmont, Mass., it was always great fun to have a friend come over and to cook dinner together after work.  My dear friend Jane and I made this linguine dish more times than I can count, sharing some wine and many laughs each time.  Once my kitchen and my skills improved, the canned clams were replaced by fresh ones, and the sauce became a bit more complex.  Still, for a simple weeknight meal with a friend, add a salad and you can’t beat this!

Ingredients:

1 can of chopped or minced clams

2-3 cloves of garlic

2 T. olive oil

½ cup white wine (as dry as possible)

½ to 1 lb. linguine

freshly ground black pepper

fresh basil or parsley

Preparation:

1.  Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil.
2.  Finely chop the garlic.
3.  In a large pot or frying pan (big enough to hold the pasta and the sauce) add the olive oil and warm over medium-low heat.  Add the chopped garlic and sauté just until fragrant but do not let it brown.
4.  Add the can of clams, including the juice.  Add the white wine and cook until just beginning to bubble.  Set aside.
5.  Cook the pasta and drain thoroughly.
6.  Add the pasta to the clam sauce, season with salt (if needed), black pepper.
7. Top with either torn up basil leaves or chopped.

Serves 2-3 (depending on how much pasta you cook and how hungry you are).