Clams with Prosecco Cream Sauce

Cheers to the holidays! Nothing says ’tis the season like the light, bright, tingle of bubbly. Clams with Prosecco Cream Sauce is the perfect dish to celebrate the Feast of the Seven Fishes or ring in the new year with.

There is something so versatile about clams. Whether they’re dressed down served next to an icy craft brew in the form of Grilled Clam Dip or sitting pertly on pasta with the sunny flavor of Italian bubbly accompanying them, this is a seafood to celebrate with and celebrate.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Who doesn’t love twirling and slurping pasta and sopping up a decadent sauce with charred crusty bread? Clams with Prosecco Cream Sauce is easy, luxurious, and just as much fun to make as it is to eat.

• Easy Process – Unlike some cream sauces that require making a roux, this sauce is thickened with heavy cream and parmesan. The clams also steam in the prosecco broth which not only adds flavor but makes this an almost one pot dish. If you can boil pasta, you can make this dish.
• Accessible Ingredients – Littleneck clams are an easily accessible seafood found at most grocery stores. They’re also one of the most sustainable and are available year-round. In addition, they’re budget friendly.
• Customizable – Other seafood can easily be swapped for the clams. Mussels, shrimp, and even lobster would all work well.
• Quick Cooking – With a little chopping of garlic and shallots at the start and grating of cheese, this dish comes together quickly.

Ingredients

Clam linguine is a classic dish that requires minimal ingredients. The combination of clams and white wine pairs well with the briny bivalves and sunny burst of acidic wine. The prosecco cream sauce elevates this dish with only a few extra components.

• Littleneck Clams – These clams are on the smaller side and cook up tender, making them ideal for pasta. Their brine will release into the prosecco broth as they steam creating an additional layer of flavor.
• Linguine – Make sure to sure to save a cup of your starchy pasta water. Depending on how saucy you like your pasta this is a great way to give it a little more volume and the starches will help marry the sauce to the pasta.
• Olive Oil
• Shallots – Gives a delicate onion flavor that sweetens as they cook.
• Garlic – Bright, pungent, and savory, there’s something fun about the way the gossamer slices get caught in the clam shells.
• Crushed Red Pepper – Use a little or use a lot. Crushed red pepper flakes add a back note of heat. I like to use Calabrian chili flakes but use your favorite.
• Prosecco – This dry, light sparkling Italian wine has a medium high acidity giving brightness to this white wine cream sauce.
• Thyme – This citrusy herb infuses flavor into the prosecco broth as the clams steam.
• Roma Tomatoes – Readily available year-round, these tomatoes are lower in moisture making them perfect for cooking with as they don’t break down as easily. They add freshness to the sauce and give a pop of festive color.
• Heavy Cream – As heavy cream reduces down it thickens naturally making this prosecco cream sauce silky.
• Parmigiano-Reggiano – Nutty, salty, and savory, this melts into the sauce and also adds a pop of flavor to garnish.

• Lemon – Brightens up all of the flavors.
• Basil – Sweet and delicate, toss in your basil at the very end to keep its bright and happy green color and not dilute its flavor.

How to Make Prosecco Cream Clam Linguine

This is a perfect dish to celebrate with because it comes together quickly allowing you time to be present with friends and family instead of in the kitchen all day. Pop open that bottle of prosecco, fire up the grill, and invite your guests outside while you cook up this Italian inspired creation.

• Mise en Place – Thoroughly clean your clams. Channel your inner Goodfellas and slice your garlic thin and chop your remaining vegetables.
• Boil – Boil your pasta according to the package directions for al dente. Reserve a cup of the starchy cooking liquid and drain.
• Sauté – Heat your grill to 400 degrees along with a sauté pan with a lid. Add your olive oil and shallots. Allow the shallots to cook for 2-3 minutes before adding your garlic. Cook the garlic for another 2 minutes, careful not to burn. Add the crushed red pepper flakes.

• Steam – Add the prosecco, thyme, and tomatoes. Bring to a boil and allow it to slightly reduce before adding your clams. Add the clams and cover. They should cook in 5-8 minutes. As soon as they pop open remove them to a bowl. Discard any clams that don’t open.

• Reduce – Add the heavy cream to the prosecco clam broth. Allow it to boil until it thickens. Squeeze in the lemon and give it a stir.
• Toss – Add your pasta and freshly grated parmesan cheese. Toss to combine. Add the basil and return the clams to the pan along with any juices.

• Cheers – Garnish with additional basil and parmesan and don’t forget that crusty grilled bread for dipping!

Variations

While pasta with clams is a natural pairing, so are other types of seafood with this prosecco sauce. Use your favorite and adjust the cooking accordingly. To keep delicate seafood such as shrimp and scallops tender, don’t boil them in the prosecco but instead sauté them at the beginning. You will need a little additional pasta water to compensate for the brine in clams and mussels.

You can also skip the pasta and serve up these saucy prosecco steam clams with generous hunks of crusty charred bread. The directions will be the same. Just toss the clams into the sauce after you melt your parmesan.

• Mussels – Mussels in a white wine cream sauce is both sumptuous and delicious. Follow the same directions as with the clams.
• Scallops – Scallops are among the most tender and sweet bites of the sea and pair perfectly with a garlic cream sauce. If using sea scallops sear them at the very begin before sautéing your aromatics and remove them from the pan. Add them at the end when tossing in your basil or top your finished pasta with them. If using bay scallops sauté them until just cooked through and then remove them from the pan, adding at the end.
• Shrimp – Just like the scallops, sauté your shrimp at the beginning and then remove them from the pan before continuing with the process. You will need a little additional olive oil.
• Lobster – Lobster tails can be grilled, chopped, and tossed in the finished sauce, or you can steam them in the prosecco broth and remove them from the pan once cooked through. This will infuse the prosecco with additional flavor from the shell. Chop up the meat and toss in at the end.

Substitutions

Use your favorite pasta shape for this recipe. Long pasta shapes work best such as fettucine and pappardelle.

You can also substitute the prosecco in this recipe. Cava, sparkling white wine, and champagne would work. You can also use a dry white wine such as pinot grigio.

Tools for Clam Linguine

These clams in a prosecco garlic cream sauce were prepared on the grill. You can make this recipe inside on the stove top and the process will be the same. Heat your sauté pan over medium heat.

Making this on my Aspire by Hestan grill allowed me to cook the entire meal from pasta to charred bread at the same time. The Hestan NanoBond sauté pan is grill safe, being high heat resistant up to 1050 degrees. This Italian made cookware is scratch, stain, and stick resistant. In addition, its beautiful design makes it perfect to go from grill to table.

Tips From the Beach

The texture of this prosecco cream sauce is silky, velvety, and light. Make sure to thoroughly clean your clams before adding them to the prosecco broth. This will prevent the sauce from becoming gritty. Scrub the outside of your clams before soaking them for 15 minutes. Drain the water and soak them for another 15-30 minutes. Give them a thorough rinse before using them.

Make sure to save a cup of your starchy pasta water before draining your linguine. Depending upon how much brine your clams release and how saucy you like your pasta, you can use this to stretch out the sauce. Because there is salt in the pasta water you may not need to salt your sauce at the end.

Frequently Asked Questions About Prosecco Cream Sauce

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