Linguini with Roux-Thickened Clam Sauce

Linguini with Roux-Thickened Clam Sauce

My family has enjoyed linguini with clam sauce for many years.  We prepare it for special occasions, though those evenings usually tend to be Sundays (because…well…if you know my family, Sunday is “pasta night”).

When preparing for this blog post, I wanted to take the opportunity to fix the only problem we ever saw with the sauce: the original recipe (which doesn’t use a roux) is too watery.  And though that sauce is tasty, one feels as though they’ve missed out on a part of the sauce, unless the remaining juices are drank right off the plate.

Therefore, I endeavored to thicken the sauce, making it creamier but not losing any of its taste.  The result was excellent, though not quite perfect.  In the meal pictured below, I’d have to say that too much roux was used.  Some of the clam flavor was lost to the roux, so add it carefully when you make this dish.  If you’re used to making a thick stew or sauce with roux, add perhaps ½ to ¾ as much roux as you’d normally use.

 

To Make the Roux:

1 cup flour

1 stick butter

Heat the butter in a frying pan (I prefer cast iron) and once all the butter has melted, add the flour.  On medium heat, fry the flour until it has been cooked to a light brown (as compared to the near-white of all-purpose flour).  Stir the roux frequently to prevent burning and evenly toast the flour.  Set aside to cool for later.  Making a full cup of roux leaves you with a good deal excess, which can be saved for some future soup or stew.

To Make the Clam Sauce:

3 10 Oz Cans of Clams

2 8 Oz Bottles of Clam Juice

4-6 Cloves Garlic, Diced

2 Tbsp Parsley, Chopped

1 Tbsp Basil, Chopped

½ Stick Butter

Heat the butter in a large frying pan or small sauce pot.  The sauce is prepared in a single pot, with ingredients being added as you go.  Therefore, make sure the pan/pot you chose is large enough to hold at least 1 quart of sauce (with room to spare).

Lightly brown the garlic, basil, and parsley in butter over medium heat.  Stir frequently as the greens have a tendency to cook faster than the garlic if not stirred.

Add the bottled clam juice and the canned juice as well.  Save the clams for a bit…they were cooked enough when they were canned.  Add about a half cup of the roux and heat until the sauce is an even consistency, using a wire whisk to mix-in the roux.  Cook the sauce for at least five minutes before deciding whether to add additional roux to thicken the sauce.  And as I mentioned at the start of this post, don’t add too much.

Add the canned clams and continue to cook until hot and then simmer on low heat for 10 minutes.

Serve over linguini or fettuccini with grated Romano or Parmesan cheese.