Clams Posillipo in Red Sauce (Zuppa di Clams)

Step 1

Purge the clams of excess sand: Clean clams with a brush to remove any surface dirt or sand. Fill a large bowl with about 3 to 4 quarts cold water and whisk about ¼ cup salt into it. Then, carefully immerse the clams in the cold water for about 1-2 hours. Either put the bowl in the refrigerator during this resting time or add a few ice cubes to the water so that it is cold. Carefully drain and rinse the clams. If the water is very cloudy, repeat this process as many times as needed until the water is fairly clear. Once the clams have been purged, give them a quick rinse. If it is still going to be awhile before you cook them, return them to the refrigerator stored on a colander in ice.(Please see the section above in the blog post for Step-By-Step instructions with photos.)

Step 2

Meanwhile, prep and gather all ingredients according to specifications above.

Step 3

Combine the olive oil, garlic, anchovies and crushed red pepper in a large skillet over medium low heat and cook until the garlic starts to soften and brown and the anchovies have dissolved, about 4 to 5 minutes.

Step 4

Pour the wine in the pan and scrape up any brown bits. Then, add the tomatoes, half the chopped parsley, salt and black pepper and stir until well-combined. (Note that the clams will add additional saltiness to the dish.)

Step 5

Bring the tomato mixture to a simmer and simmer, uncovered for about 10 minutes or so to reduce and thicken the sauce and allow the alcohol taste to cook off.

Step 6

Then, carefully add the cleaned clams to the simmering tomato sauce. Stir gently and distribute them evenly across the surface of the pan. Cover, lower the heat to medium low and let them steam, shaking the pan and gently stirring a few times as they cook.

Step 7

The clams are cooked once they open! Transfer clams to a bowl one-by-one as they are cooked/opened, and replace the cover as the remaining cook. Discard any clams that did not open. It may take around 10 minutes or so for all the clams to cook.

Step 8

Once all the clams have cooked, either return all the clams back to the pan, gently stirring a few times to disperse the tomato sauce throughout, or transfer the clams to a serving bowl, pouring the tomato sauce over them.

Step 9

Sprinkle with remaining chopped parsley and serve immediately with some crusty bread to sop up all the wonderful sauce and juices! As clams are a fun interactive meal, consider serving them family-style right in the pot or pan in which they were cooked. Don’t forget to serve with a small bowl for discarded shells. Buon Appetito!