Dining with the Doc: Linguine with Clams and Lemony Breadcrumbs

I love seafood and am always looking for ways to incorporate a wide variety of seafood into my diet.  My Linguine with Clams and Lemony Breadcrumbs is a restaurant-quality dish that is deceptively simple to make.  Although many people are intimidated by the thought of cooking clams at home, I actually grew up eating fresh clams that we used to get from the creek behind my family's summer house.  After hours of digging in the sand for fresh clams, we would go back to the house and enjoy a huge pot of steamed clams made with a simple garlic and white wine sauce that we would sop up with crusty bread.  Now that I live in Manhattan, I buy my clams from the local fish market but I still love to make them because they are quick, delicious and very nutritious.


Clams, like a lot of other mollusks and shellfish, have a fair amount of cholesterol but more importantly, are very low in saturated fat.  Eating a diet low in saturated fat is the most important factor for maintaining a healthy blood cholesterol.   Clams are also a very good source of protein and are packed with several minerals and vitamins including selenium, manganese, phosphorus, Vitamin B12 and Vitamin C.  They are surprisingly high in iron- one 3 ounce serving of cooked clams (about 9 small clams) has 132% of your daily recommended amount.  This makes clams a great option for people who don't eat red meat and want to make sure they get an adequate amount of iron in their diets.   Clams also have a good amount of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids.  To learn about the numerous health benefits of these fatty acids, click here. Because of the health benefits of omega-3s, the USDA dietary guidelines recommend eating two servings of seafood per week.  So don’t just limit yourself to fish like salmon and tuna when trying to get your omega-3s- consider adding clams and other mollusks like mussels and oysters to vary your seafood intake. 

To avoid getting bites of gritty sand in your finished product, clams require a little bit of prep work.  Before getting started, discard any clams that are cracked, open or have a bad odor because this usually means that the clam is already dead and shouldn't be eaten.  If you tap the clam gently and it closes, then it's ok to eat.  Soak the clams in a bowl of water for at least 20 minutes.  As they soak, they will purge any sand from inside their shells.  After they're done soaking, lift the clams from the water leaving any sand in the bottom of the bowl.  Don’t pour the contents of the bowl into a colander or you will end up dumping the sand on top of the clams.  Finally, scrub the clams with a stiff kitchen brush to remove any other grit or particles on the surface.  After that, you’re ready to go.

For my dish, I like to start by sautéing aromatics like leeks, garlic and a bit of red pepper flakes for heat.  Leeks are in season and have a lovely, mild oniony flavor that pairs very well with seafood.  If you don’t have them, you can use a regular onion or shallot.  Then I add the clams to the pot along with some white wine and lemon juice.  After that, the pot is covered and the steam cooks the clams in a matter of minutes- once they open, they’re done.  If you cook them for too long, they will get tough and rubbery.  If any of the clams don’t open, throw them out.  Sprinkle in some fresh parsley to brighten the flavor and you’re ready to eat.


Before serving, I like to toss the sauce with quinoa linguine so that the pasta absorbs the flavorful liquid.  Quinoa pasta is a great, nutritious substitute for traditional pasta and has all of the health benefits of quinoa.  For more information on the health benefits of quinoa, click here.  To finish the dish, I like to add some homemade lemon-infused breadcrumbs on top for texture.  Although you can use store-bought breadcrumbs, fresh breadcrumbs only take a few minutes to make and are definitely worth the effort.

Linguine with Clams and Lemony Breadcrumbs

Makes 4 servings

Lemony Breadcrumbs:

2 slices whole wheat bread, crusts cut off

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

Zest of 1 lemon

1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Linguine with Clams:

8 oz. quinoa linguine

4 teaspoons olive oil

1 medium leek, halved lengthwise and sliced (white and light green parts)

3 cloves garlic

¼- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

3 dozen littleneck clams (about 4 ½ lbs.), cleaned

¾ cup dry white wine

Juice of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

To make the lemony breadcrumbs, cut the bread into pieces and pulse them in a food processor to form breadcrumbs.  Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium heat and add the garlic and lemon zest.  Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds, then add the breadcrumbs.  Cook, stirring often, until breadcrumbs are golden and toasted.  Stir in the parsley and salt. 

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente.  Drain the pasta.

While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large Dutch oven other pot over medium heat.  Add the leeks and sauté a few minutes until tender.  Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook another minute until fragrant.   Add the clams, wine and lemon juice and stir to mix all of the ingredients.

Cover the pot and cook until all of the clams open, about 5-8 minutes.  Toss out any unopened clams.  Stir in the parsley.

Remove the clams from the pot and place them in a bowl.  Add the pasta to the liquid in the pot and toss to combine.  Season the pasta with salt and pepper.  Transfer the pasta to a large serving bowl and arrange the clams on top.  Sprinkle some of the lemony breadcrumbs on top.  Serve extra breadcrumbs on the side.

One Serving: Calories 426; Fat 9.1(Sat 1.2g); Protein 18g; Carb 61.6g; Fiber 5.2g