Ingredients
1 tablespoon salt, plus more for seasoning
1 pound dried spaghetti, or linguine
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
2 cans (6 ounces each) chopped clams, with their juice
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 cup milled or crushed canned Italian plum tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon hot red-pepper flakes
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter
Preparation
In a large covered pot, heat a gallon of water to a boil. When water boils, add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta, stir well, and cover until boiling. Uncover, and boil until just tender to the bite all the way through. Meanwhile, make the sauce: In a skillet (with a lid) large enough to hold the pasta later on, heat oil over medium-low heat. Add garlic, and slowly cook, stirring, until golden, about 5 minutes. Add clams with their juice, wine, tomatoes, red-pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to taste, keeping in mind that the clams are quite salty. Stir, reduce the heat, and simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Reserving 1/2 cup cooking water, drain pasta in a colander. Add the drained pasta, parsley, butter, and salt and pepper to taste to the sauce, and mix well, adding a few tablespoons of pasta cooking water if needed to coat the pasta evenly. Cover, and cook 1 minute. Serve immediately.
