when sylvia plath said, we’re all like little animals, waiting for dinner
...i felt that. viv's no- recipe recipe for the best linguini and clams
in the middle of may and early june, i spent over three weeks living with viv. most nights, we would sit together on the floor of her living room or on the wooden floor of her kitchen ruminating over the day over dinner (we began to fondly call them ‘galley dinners’) she prepared for us. in the mornings, we sat at her kitchen table, groggily and slowly telling each other what dreams we had, if any, and our plans for the day over challah strawberry french toast and mugs of hot water.
one of the best things i’ve eaten lately is viv’s linguini and clams. it’s hard to even articulate why it’s so good but it just is. i’ve never had a better linguini and clams in my life. maybe it’s that she chooses chives over parsley? maybe it’s the fact she uses a lot of fresh garlic and shallot? maybe it’s because she knows the perfect amount of freshly squeezed lemon juice to use? maybe it’s because it’s a recipe that is not a recipe and she makes this dish purely from love? regardless of the why or how, it’s the best pasta dish i’ve had recently. i hope you enjoy it, too.
what you need (roughly):
1 lb of linguini
2 lbs little neck clams
1 cup dry white wine
8 cloves of garlic, finely minced
2 shallots, finely minced
75% of a stick of butter
1 bunch of chives
1 meyer lemon
olive oil
salt to taste
soak the little neck clams in a bowl of salted water for at least an hour.
in a large pan on medium heat, sauté garlic and shallot in a combination of olive oil and butter.
meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta until al dente.
add the soaked/rinsed clams into the pan with the garlic and shallot. viv recommends using a baking sheet to cover the pan to allow the clams to steam! let the clams steam for 7 minutes or so or until they start opening up. add the white wine and let the alcohol evaporate a bit before adding the cooked pasta.
finish with another pat of butter, freshly chopped chives and a generous squeezing of meyer lemon juice. taste for seasoning!
best enjoyed with your best friend or someone who truly understands and sees you for who you are while sitting on the floor, talking endlessly as the evening light turns from golden to a moody blue.