White Clam Sauce Recipe

The allure and satisfaction of a good slice of pizza

I'd never heard of Shakey's Pizza when it first opened in the UAE, and I was too young to question adults and Americophiles who told me it was a good thing. I was old enough, however, to ponder the restaurant's name, well before learning that the source was the co-founder Sherwood "Shakey" Johnson, whose nickname was a playful jab at the nerve damage he suffered during the Second World War following an episode of malaria. I remember the pizza's curious top-notes of liquorice, something I later came to associate with the flavour of overcooked tomatoes and stale dried herbs.

When I was in high school, Pizza Hut released its original Stuffed Crust pizza, which had the incalculable advantage of being promoted by two people I worshipped: Micky Dolenz of the 1960s made-for-television band The Monkees; and Meghna, a girl in my class whose sense of certainty in life left little room for the kind of doubt that defined my own. She had described the pizza as "heavenly", and that was that: later that same day, I convinced my poor mother to order us one of these novelty items for our dinner.

Overpriced and over-hyped, the pizza arrived, and the stuffed crust turned out to be a bloated tube of stiffened mozzarella that was hard to get down, let alone enjoy. From then on, I could never eat another bite of a Pizza Hut pizza, latching on instead to the predictable mediocrity of Domino's.

Let's just say I was a difficult kid.

Skip ahead to my college years, which were spent in New Haven, Connecticut - home to the thin-crust, coal-fired, brick-oven pizza made famous by my beloved Frank Pepe's Pizzeria Napoletana (known locally as Pepe's) and its rival restaurant Sally's Apizza, just up the street.

Pepe's is legendary for its white clam pie (the travelling food writers Jane and Michael Stern declare it to be their fantasy final meal), a delicious, nutty pizza crust, charred beneath and scattered with olive oil, garlic, herbs, a little grated cheese, and lots of plump, freshly shucked little-neck clams. It is indeed a fine pie, but it's not the reason I go to Pepe's.

Originally, there were only two tomato pizza pies on the menu at Pepe's: plain and marinara. The latter contained anchovies and the former was - and still is - the simplest and most sublime combination of elements for showcasing a crust as terrific as Pepe's: juicy tomato sauce, barely perceptible oregano and garlic, and a negligible sprinkle of Pecorino Romano.

Linguini with Clam Sauce Recipe | Simply Recipes

What's there to say about this Italian-American classic other than, "red or white?" Linguini with clam sauce comes in either a red tomato-based version, or a white version with cream or white wine. Today we present to you a red version, with a tomato-based, clam-juice infused sauce, dressed up with some fennel and a little dash of anise liqueur. Why the licorice note from the fennel and anise? Trust me. It just goes well with tomato sauce and seafood.

Funny thing, my dad hates, and I mean truly despises, licorice. But he gobbles down Italian sausage like there's no tomorrow, and the defining spice in sweet Italian sausage is fennel seed. Certain flavors just enhance others, and in this case the licorice flavor from the fennel and anise liqueur makes the clam sauce sparkle. (By the way, you can skip the liqueur if you want, you'll just have a more subtle licorice note from the fennel.)

Do you have a favorite clams with pasta dish? Please let us know about it in the comments.

1 Open the can of clams and strain the juice through a paper-towel-lined fine-meshed sieve into a bowl. Set both the juice and the clams aside.

2 Heat the olive oil in a large pot or sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and fennel bulb and sprinkle with a little salt. Stir well and sauté until translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Don't brown them. Add the chopped garlic and sauté for another minute.

3 Add the ouzo (if you're using) to the pan and let it boil down until it's almost completely evaporated. Add the tomato paste and stir well to coat the vegetables. Cook for a minute or two.

4 Add the crushed tomatoes and the clam juice (strained from the can of clams) to the pot, along with a sprinkling of salt and the sugar. Stir well, turn the heat to a slow simmer and cook for 20 minutes. While the tomato sauce is cooking, heat a large pot of salted water for the pasta.

Simple & Fresh: A Century of Traditional Italian Recipes

Wheat-free recipes and menus

The Martha's Vineyard Table

The big book of fish & shellfish, more than 250 terrific recipes

It's all American food, the best recipes for more than 400 new American classics