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Growing up as a first generation Italian-American, Judge Patricia DiMango of the TV courtroom show "Hot Bench" spent a lot of time in the kitchen, both cooking and eating. Her favorite food was pasta, so it's no surprise that years later she wrote a cookbook devoted to this Italian staple. Her linguine with clam sauce is quick, easy and so good! You can make it with canned clams, fresh clams or a combination of the two. 

For another take on pasta with clams, check out Rach's version of linguine con vongole, which includes anchovies and white wine. 

Ingredients

  • 2/3 cup olive oil
  • 8 to 10 large cloves garlic, crushed, then diced
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (more or less, according to taste)
  • ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
  • 4 to 5 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf Italian parsley
  • Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
  • Two 6.5-ounce cans of unseasoned minced clams in clam juice
  • 24 or more small little-neck clams or 1 pound Manila clams or one 10-ounce can unseasoned whole baby clams with liquid
  • One 8-ounce bottle of clam juice
  • One pound linguine or spaghetti

Yield

Serves: 4 to 6

Preparation

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. 

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan (or large, if you use fresh clams), heat oil and saute the garlic until golden. Add the red pepper flakes, oregano, 3 to 4 tablespoons of the parsley, and salt and pepper. Stir for about 1 minute to release the flavor. 

Add the 2 cans of chopped clams along with the whole clams, their liquids, and the bottle of clam juice. Heat all the ingredients. (If using fresh clams, cook until they open.) Add more clam juice or pasta water for desired consistency.  

Cook linguine or spaghetti according to the directions on the package for al dente. Drain and place it in a large, deep serving platter or bowl. Add the clam sauce to the pasta.  

Sprinkle with the remaining parsley and serve. 

Excerpted from From the Kitchen to the Courtroom: Doing Justice to Pasta by Patricia DiMango. Copyright © 2021 by Judge Patricia M. Di Mango. Used with permission by Tellwell Talent. All rights reserved.