Spicy Linguine with Clams and Colossal Shrimp. This quick and easy shrimp and clam pasta is a family favourite. It combines the briny sweetness of Manila clams with the tender, juicy bite of wild Argentinian shrimp.
A touch of red pepper flakes brings just the right amount of heat, making it a seafood lover’s dream dish you’ll want to make again and again. It’s as good as the seafood pasta from your favorite Italian restaurants and is ready in under an hour—perfect for impressing guests or treating yourself to a gourmet experience at home.
Ingredients
Pasta
- Linguine pasta
- Unsalted butter
- Fresh cilantro or flat-leaf parsley
- Kosher salt and black pepper
Clam Sauce
- Olive oil
- Onion
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Garlic
- White wine (Pinot Grigio preferred)
- Vegetable or chicken stock
- Crushed red pepper flakes
- Manila clams (TIP: Manila clams are best for their tender texture and sweet, briny flavour. If unavailable, use littleneck clams as a substitute.)
Shrimp
- Colossal wild shrimp
- Olive oil
- Garlic
- Crushed red pepper flakes
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
Garnish
- Lemon wedges
- Chopped fresh parsley or cilantro
See recipe card below for quantities.
Instructions
Prep the Clams
Soak clams in cold, salted water for 20-30 minutes to remove grit. Scrub the shells gently before cooking. This ensures clean, sand-free clams. Pay special attention to any broken clams or open shells that do not close when tapped, these clams should be discarded.
Cook the Pasta
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.
Add linguine and cook as per the package directions stopping just shy of al dente pasta typically 8-10 minutes. Taste a pasta strand for doneness. (TIP: The pasta will finish cooking when tossed with the clam sauce.)
Drain and transfer the pasta with a slotted spoon to a large serving bowl.
Toss with butter and parsley or cilantro. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Make the Clam Sauce
Heat olive oil in a sauté pan or sauteuse over medium-high heat.
Add onion, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 3-4 minutes.
Stir in garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
Add white wine and simmer until reduced by half, about 2-3 minutes. (TIP: Properly reducing the wine intensifies the sauce’s flavour.)
Stir in stock, red pepper flakes, and clams.
Cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook until the clams open, about 5-8 minutes. Discard any unopened clams immediately to avoid toughness.
Cook the Shrimp
While the clams cook, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Cook for 30-60 seconds until fragrant.
Add shrimp and cook for 2 minutes per side, just until pink and cooked through. (TIP: Overcooked shrimp can become rubbery, so keep an eye on them.)
Combine and Serve
Using tongs, transfer the cooked clams to the skillet with the shrimp.
Pour half of the clam cooking liquid over the pasta and toss to coat.
Pour the remaining liquid over the shrimp and clams.
Arrange the shrimp, clams, and sauce on top of the pasta.
Garnish and Enjoy
Serve with lemon wedges, a sprinkle of parsley or cilantro, and a drizzle of olive oil.
Pair with crusty bread and a crisp, dry white wine.
Tips for Success
Ingredient Prep
- Purge the Clams: Soak in cold, salted water to remove sand. Scrub gently before cooking.
- Use Quality Ingredients: Fresh clams, wild shrimp, and a good-quality wine will elevate the dish. When shopping for pasta clams, ensure they are fresh, with tightly closed shells or shells that close when tapped.
Cooking Tips
- Don’t Overcook Pasta: Stop cooking the linguine just shy of al dente.
- Reduce Wine Properly: Allow the wine to simmer and reduce by half for concentrated flavor.
- Keep Seafood Tender: Remove clams and shrimp as soon as they’re cooked to avoid overcooking.
Serving Suggestions
- Warm Plates: Serve the dish on warm plates or bowls to keep it hot longer.
- Extra Citrus: A squeeze of fresh lemon juice (or lemon zest) before serving brightens the flavours.
- Extra Spice: Serve with chili peppers on the side for an extra kick of heat.
- Crusty Bread is Key: Use it to soak up the flavourful sauce.
- Wine Pairing: A dry white wine like Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc complements the dish beautifully.
Equipment Used
This linguine with clams and shrimp pasta dish was cooked and served in my Hestan Culinary CopperBond 3.5 qt. Sauteuse. Proud Hestan Culinary Ambassador. Opinions in this post are always my own.
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📖 Recipe
Spicy Linguine with Clams and Colossal Shrimp
Ingredients
Pasta
- 1 pound linguine pasta
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro or flat-leaf parsley
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Clam Sauce
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ cup chopped onion
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 cup white wine Pinot Grigio preferred
- 1 cup vegetable or chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 pound Manila clams scrubbed clean (TIP: Manila clams are best for their tender texture and sweet, briny flavour. If unavailable, use littleneck clams as a substitute.)
Shrimp
- 8-12 raw colossal wild shrimp deveined, shelled (with tails left on optional) and patted dry
- 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
- 1 garlic clove minced
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Garnish
- Lemon wedges
- Chopped fresh parsley or cilantro
Instructions
Prep the Clams
- Soak clams in cold, salted water for 20-30 minutes to remove grit. Scrub the shells gently before cooking. This ensures clean, sand-free clams. Pay special attention to any broken clams or open shells that do not close when tapped, these clams should be discarded.
Cook the Pasta
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.
- Add linguine and cook as per the package directions stopping just shy of al dente pasta typically 8-10 minutes. Taste a pasta strand for doneness. (TIP: The pasta will finish cooking when tossed with the clam sauce.)
- Drain and transfer the pasta with a slotted spoon to a large serving bowl.
- Toss with butter and parsley or cilantro. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Make the Clam Sauce
- Heat olive oil in a sauté pan or sauteuse over medium-high heat.
- Add onion, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 3-4 minutes.
- Stir in garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add white wine and simmer until reduced by half, about 2-3 minutes. (TIP: Properly reducing the wine intensifies the sauce’s flavour.)
- Stir in stock, red pepper flakes, and clams.
- Cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook until the clams open, about 5-8 minutes. Discard any unopened clams immediately to avoid toughness.
Cook the Shrimp
- While the clams cook, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Cook for 30-60 seconds until fragrant.
- Add shrimp and cook for 2 minutes per side, just until pink and cooked through. (TIP: Overcooked shrimp can become rubbery, so keep an eye on them.)
Combine and Serve
- Using tongs, transfer the cooked clams to the skillet with the shrimp.
- Pour half of the clam cooking liquid over the pasta and toss to coat.
- Pour the remaining liquid over the shrimp and clams.
- Arrange the shrimp, clams, and sauce on top of the pasta.
Garnish and Enjoy
- Serve with lemon wedges, a sprinkle of parsley or cilantro, and a drizzle of olive oil.
- Pair with crusty bread and a crisp, dry white wine.
Rate this Recipe
- If you make this, please leave a review letting us know how it was! Each review helps so much! Thank you!
Notes
- Purge the Clams: Soak in cold, salted water to remove sand. Scrub gently before cooking.
- Use Quality Ingredients: Fresh clams, wild shrimp, and a good-quality wine will elevate the dish. When shopping for pasta clams, ensure they are fresh, with tightly closed shells or shells that close when tapped.
- Don’t Overcook Pasta: Stop cooking the linguine just shy of al dente.
- Reduce Wine Properly: Allow the wine to simmer and reduce by half for concentrated flavor.
- Keep Seafood Tender: Remove clams and shrimp as soon as they’re cooked to avoid overcooking.
- Warm Plates: Serve the dish on warm plates or bowls to keep it hot longer.
- Extra Citrus: A squeeze of fresh lemon juice (or lemon zest) before serving brightens the flavours.
- Extra Spice: Serve with chili peppers on the side for an extra kick of heat.
- Crusty Bread is Key: Use it to soak up the flavourful sauce.
- Wine Pairing: A dry white wine like Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc complements the dish beautifully.
I love clams and pasta, and I love shrimp and pasta, so this piqued my interest in combining the two in one dish. The flavor got lost in the pasta. For 4 people, I used only 1/2 pound of pasta and regular shrimp, making stock from the shrimp shells. It was still a lot of pasta, even as a main dish.
Hi Phyllis,
OMG! Thank you for your feedback. We made an error using the word large shrimp, it should have been colossal shrimp.
This is a pasta dish with seafood, not a seafood dish with pasta and our family and friends enjoy a large portion of pasta. We really appricate your feedback and we will change the serving size to 4-6 people, plus we will add a note that although a recommended serving for pasta is 2-ounces we don’t find that is enough for us.
Have a wonderful day 🙂
Elaine & James