Linguine with clams

Serves 6 Starters and mains

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Method

Throw the clams into a large bowl, one by one, so they hit the bottom of the bowl. This will help to dislodge the sand and find any dead clams. (These will not react, and you can discard them.)

Place the clams in a clean bowl with enough water to cover and a pinch of salt. The clams need to be rinsed several times to wash out the sand, so change the water each time.

Place the clams in a large saucepan with a ladleful of cold water and cover. Cook the clams over high heat for 3–4 minutes until they open. Drain the clam stock through a fine sieve and set aside in a bowl together with the opened clams, discarding any that do not open. Cook the pasta in boiling salted water until al dente, then drain. Reserve some of the pasta water for the sauce.

While the pasta is cooking, place the olive oil in a large saucepan over low heat and add the garlic and half the chopped chilli. Sauté for a few minutes until softened. Add the cooked clams to the pan with half the parsley and the reserved stock. Shake the pan from time to time and cook over medium–low heat for 5 minutes. Add the remaining parsley and chilli and transfer to a large serving bowl.

To serve, scatter over the lemon zest, drizzle with oil and season with freshly ground black pepper.