Clams d'Angelo

When I worked at Doc Watson's, Frank always had this pasta on the menu for pasta night. Very popular and delicious. It was served in large, deep bowls so the sauce collected in the bottom (easier to swirl your pasta in instead of it spreading all over a plate) with the clams still in their shells. This was served with a glass of wine, a green salad and garlic bread.

Frank's Menu Description: Fresh clams, spinach and tomatoes steamed together with clam broth, garlic, basil and white wine. Served over pasta.

Italians prepare pasta with clam sauce in two ways: in bianco, i.e., with oil, garlic, parsley, and sometimes a splash of white wine (see Linguine with Clam Sauce); and in rosso, like the former but with tomatoes and fresh basil, the addition of tomatoes being more frequent in the south. The measurements below for making Clams d'Angelo are guess-timates taken from the Linguine with Clam Sauce recipe.

Fresh clams, cleaned (25 littleneck clams)
Garlic (1/2 Tbsp)
Fresh plum tomatoes, cubed
Olive Oil (1/4 cup)
Clam broth (1 cup)
White wine (1/2 cup)
Fresh spinach
Fresh basil (2 Tbsp.)
Linguine, cooked al dente (1 pound)
Parmesan cheese, for garnish and for passing when served

Sauté the garlic, and tomatoes in olive oil. Add the clam broth and white wine and bring to the boiling point. Add the clams, spinach, and basil and steam until the clams open. Serve immediately in bowls over cooked hot linguine, passing parmesan cheese on the side.