Linguine with White Clam Sauce

     There are some recipes that are so deceptively simple it defies logic. This linguine with clams from The Everything Quick Meals Cookbook is one of them. The flavor of this dish is outstanding and it comes from a simple handful of ingredients. I made this for my father-in-law a few years ago for his birthday and he gets so excited every time I make it. He says it's as good as his mother made. Why is that a big deal? He's Italian. His parents came from Palermo, Sicily. This is just a fantastic recipe. When I make it, I generally just double off the recipe, just to be safe. As always, notes and changes are in blue.

Linguine with White Clam Sauce
via Everything Quick Meals Cookbook

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound linguine
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 tablespoons white vermouth (I used dry vermouth)
• 2 6-1/2 ounce cans clams, juice reserved (minced or chopped depending on how big you like your clam bits)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (I ended up just eyeballing a reasonable amount of dried)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Cook linguine according to directions, drain. 
2. In a large skillet, heat the oil and saute the garlic until lightly golden, not burned (I can't imagine there is a recipe that calls for you to incinerate garlic)
3. Add the flour, vermouth and juice from clams; stir, bringing to a boil. Add the clams and parsley and simmer a few minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Toss with drained cooked pasta and serve immediately. 

Good times!