How To Make Carbone’s Linguine Vongole
Linguine with clams gets a major upgrade with this exclusive recipe from the Carbone cookbook.
Carbone, the Italian-American red sauce mecca that launched in Greenwich Village in 2013, has long been one of New York City’s toughest reservations. The intimate eatery’s enduring popularity is owed as much to signature dishes like spicy vodka rigatoni and veal parmesan as its retro fever dream vibe fueled by red-tuxedoed servers who toss Caesar salads and flambée Bananas Foster tableside, black-and-white flooring inspired by a scene from The Godfather, and a dining room soundtrack worthy of Goodfellas. The scarcity of reservations—reliably an irresistible draw for heatseeking NYC diners—has incited everything from New Yorker think pieces about how to score a table to Carbone outposts sprouting up in Miami, Las Vegas and Dallas. (Major Food Group, the fine dining juggernaut that operates Carbone, has since opened more than 40 restaurants and private clubs, including Torrisi, ZZ’s Club and Sadelle’s.)
And now, Carbone has its very own cookbook, published by the luxe coffee table tome specialists at Assouline in collaboration with the trio behind Major Food Group—Mario Carbone, Jeff Zalaznick and Rich Torrisi, with assistance from writer Gabe Ulla. More than a dozen never-before-seen recipes for Carbone favorites are represented, including this linguine vongole that will absolutely upgrade your next attempt at making linguine with clams. While sourcing razor and manila clams along with traditional littlenecks at your local fishmonger may prove challenging, the rich and saucy recipe yields an impressive depth of bold flavors, with an extra jolt of heat thanks to slices of fiery Italian long hot pepper.
“Our vongole is a festival of clams, each with its own distinct texture, flavor, personality,” reads the Carbone cookbook recipe description. “In the Carbone rendition, chopped littlenecks and razors are marinated in an oreganata-style vinaigrette and introduced only after the linguine has been cooked and the clams have steamed open. We keep the slices of long hot pepper here large so that the diner can easily remove them if that’s not their thing. But we strongly believe in serving the dish ‘juicy,’ in a pool of sauce, so the pasta takes on more flavor as you go. Then, at the end, you can take a piece of bread and clean your plate.”
Linguine Vongole By Carbone
Serves 4
Prep Time: 30 minutes, plus cooling time
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Onion Confit
- 1 small yellow onion, minced
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 bay leaf, broken in half
- 1 whole garlic clove, smashed
In a small saucepan, combine all ingredients and cook over low heat, covered. Stir occasionally, until the onions are fully soft, but not browned, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool to room temperature. Discard the bay leaf pieces and garlic. This can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Oreganata-Marinated Clams
- 1 cup water
- 2 pounds littleneck clams, scrubbed clean
- 8 ounces razor clams, scrubbed clean
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
1. In a large sauté pan, simmer 1 cup of water with a steamer insert. Add the littleneck clams, cover the pot, and cook until clams open, 4 to 5 minutes. Using tongs, transfer the clams to a bowl; let cool. Repeat with the razor clams, cooking until clams open, 4 to 5 minutes. Combine the clams and let cool completely in the bowl.
2. Reserve the clam cooking liquid left in the saucepan, and strain through a strainer lined with a coffee filter to remove any sediment. Measure 1 cup of the clam juice, discarding the rest.
3. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until beginning to turn light golden at the edges. Stir in the parsley and oregano, and cook until fragrant and sizzling, 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and let the oreganata cool completely.
4. Remove the meat from the cooled clams, discarding the shells. Cut the razor clam meat into bite-size pieces. Combine the clam meat with the cooled oreganata.
To Serve
- 1 pound dried linguine
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 green Italian long hot pepper, cut into 3/4-inch slices
- 1/2 cup peeled garlic cloves, finely chopped or food-processed
- 1 teaspoon crushed Calabrian chili flakes
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Sicilian
- 2 dozen Manila clams, scrubbed cleaned
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1 cup reserved clam juice
- 1/2 cup lightly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, roughly chopped
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the linguine and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 10 to 11 minutes, or according to the package directions.
2. While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Stir in the peppers, finely chopped garlic, chili flakes, and oregano, and cook until slightly softened and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup of the Onion Confit, lightly drained. Add the fresh Manila clams and wine together and immediately cover the pan. Cook until the clams are all open, 3 to 4 minutes. Uncover and pour in the reserved cup of clam juice. Stir to combine and return to a simmer.
3. Drain the cooked pasta and immediately add it to the cooked clams, removing the pan from the heat. Add the Oreganata-Marinated Clams, tossing everything together to warm up, keeping the pan off the heat, for about 1 more minute. Stir in the parsley and serve immediately.
Notes & Substitutions:
- The clam juice can be reserved in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- The Oreganata-Marinated Clams can be made in advance and stored in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 2 days
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